Two suspended in child abuse investigation at EU crèche

Date: 23/10/1997

By Mark Turner

ALLEGATIONS of child sex abuse at a European Union crèche are causing mounting concern amongst parents, who have only just been officially informed of a four-month-long judicial investigation.

European Commission spokesman Nikolaus van der Pas revealed this week that two workers at the Clovis crèche near Square Ambiorix in Brussels had been suspended.

But he refused to comment further as judicial procedures are under way.

“The suspensions followed investigations of rumours of paedophile activities,” he said.

The crèche, which is run by an independent Belgian company, cares for 250 under-five-year-old children of Commission, European Parliament and Council of Ministers' officials.

The job was subcontracted to the company in 1995, at which time the Commission says it examined the profiles of all the crèche's staff.

“If the Commission had seen that a person did not fit in then it would have rejected that person,” said Eva Nevalainen, a spokeswoman for Personnel Commissioner Erkki Liikanen.

Concerns about the Clovis crèche were first raised in May, when a doctor found signs suggesting that a child might have suffered sexual abuse. An official investigation was launched in mid-June, led by Brussels examining magistrate Damien Vandermeersch.

Although parents were informed unofficially, the Commission claims that Belgian secrecy laws did not allow it to make an official announcement until this month.

The institution stated in a letter dated 15 October that it had “put in place all means available to guarantee the security of the children”, and asked parents not to spread rumours which could undermine the investigation.

Concerns have, however, been voiced that the accepted Belgian practice of informing parents as soon as suspicions are raised, and immediately removing suspected offenders from the presence of their alleged child victims, does not appear to have been followed in this case.

“Unfortunately, these failures still happen,” said an official in the independent government agency the General Delegation for Child and Youth Rights.

The Brussels prosecutor's office was not available for comment, and Vandermeersch was unwilling to go into the details of the case. “I wish to continue with the utmost discretion,” he said.

The Commission said yesterday (22 October) that it had not yet received an official request from the Belgian authorities to enter the crèche's premises, which are covered by the institution's diplomatic status.

But officials added that they expected the request, initiated by Vandermeersch, to be lodged imminently.

“As soon as we receive a request, the answer will be yes,” said Nevalainen.

The Commission says it is concerned at any possible risks to its officials' children, but is not planning any new safety measures in the European schools or other establishments.

“This is something that needs to be reflected upon when the situation is clearer,” said Nevalainen.

Parents of children at the crèche are keeping quiet in the meantime. “With the situation as it is, I really cannot say anything,” said parents' association president Eliza Niniou.

Insiders say the speed with which the Belgian authorities have acted, and the Commission's promise of a swift response, is unprecedented. They point out that Belgian investigations into allegations of fraud by European Commission tourism officials are still ongoing, four years after they were first launched.

Some of the delay in the tourism inquiry has been caused by lengthy Belgian legal procedures and by difficulties in getting the immunity of officials the authorities want to question lifted.