The Minister of Justice of the resigned government, Paul Van Tigchelt, indicated on the night of Sunday to Monday that an apology had been presented to the family of the victim, aged 23 at the time of his assassination. It is “an apology for the errors made by the justice system and the responsibility that the justice system therefore bears for Julie’s death”, as well as “an apology for the immense and irreparable suffering caused to the family” , in the words of the minister.
“Justice recognizes the judgment and therefore the errors. This is why the resigning Minister of Justice decided not to appeal,” added Paul Van Tigchelt. “In consultation with Julie’s parents, the same representatives of Justice, the judiciary and the executive branch would like to apologize to the entire population and in particular to Julie’s family, to her boyfriend, to her friends and to all those who knew her,” continued the outgoing Minister of Justice.
According to Stijn Verbist, the lawyer for Julie Van Espen’s family, this apology is “historic”. “And above all the way in which this happened: it is unprecedented that senior representatives of Justice personally apologized on behalf of the judiciary and the executive branch. They went to the family’s home and had a conversation face to face”, underlines the lawyer. The delegation was made up of the Minister of Justice Van Tigchelt, his predecessor Koen Geens (who was minister at the time of Julie’s assassination), but also the first president of the Court of Cassation, the former and the current presidents of the Court of Appeal of Antwerp and the current attorney general at the Court of Appeal of Antwerp.
“Julie’s family greatly appreciates this apology. For them, the case is now closed, as well as for the Belgian State. There will be no appeal from the State and the family will not seek damages and interests,” said lawyer Stijn Verbist.
