Brussels attacks trial: Flemish victims need to translate their own documents
Dutch-speaking victims at the trial of those held responsible for the 2016 Brussels terror attacks need to have all the documents they use as arguments for damage claims translated into French by themselves. As the proceedings are in French, documents in Dutch cannot be admitted, dailies De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad reported on Wednesday.
To prove they suffered psychological and/or material damage, victims of the Brussels attacks will need to add documents added to the dossier, e.g. medical and psychological reports. A letter from the court registry now reveals that many of these cannot be accepted because they are in Dutch. "As the proceedings are in French, these documents must be translated," the letter states. The obligation to file all documents in French has caused unease among the victims. They are also unsure whether or not the translations must be made by an accredited translator. Legal experts say there is little that can be done about the situation, as it is the law in Belgium that all official documents must be in the language of the proceedings.