Courcelles MR alderman Hasselin convicted of violence against police officers contests verdict
Joël Hasselin, MR alderman of Courcelles, convicted of violence against police officers during the Souvret carnival, denounces "baseless persecution" and is considering an appeal.
Joël Hasselin breaks silence five days after conviction
Five days after his verdict from the Charleroi correctional tribunal, Courcelles MR alderman Joël Hasselin released a press statement on Tuesday 13 October. DHnet reports that he had remained uncontactable during the four preceding days despite several contact attempts.
The tribunal found him guilty of rebellion, wilful assault and battery causing work incapacity, insults and violence against a third party — acts committed during the Souvret carnival in a bar against police officers. He was sentenced to community service, coupled with a custodial sentence in the event of non-compliance.
"A profound sense of injustice"
In his statement, Hasselin asserts: "I feel a profound sense of injustice. I have the feeling of being the subject of incitement to contempt and of being condemned politically without my position being truly heard." He indicates that he "completely contests the facts" and "reserves the possibility of appealing".
The tribunal had nevertheless delivered its verdict after hearing the alderman's version from the witness stand. In the event of an appeal, the Court could, if the judgment favours him, overturn the conviction — an outcome that remains possible but not guaranteed.
Political pressure from PS
The conviction provoked reactions within the local political class. The PS group in Courcelles, followed by the Socialist Party federation of Charleroi-Thuin, demanded the alderman's resignation. The socialists also noted a contradiction within the MR, a party that advocates firmness towards perpetrators of violence against police officers, without anyone within that party having yet publicly commented on the Hasselin case.
Hasselin invokes 14 years of police collaboration
The alderman nonetheless wishes to recall his attachment to law enforcement: "I reaffirm my profound respect for the police with which I work on a regular and constructive basis for now 14 years, in a spirit of good collaboration." He adds that he stands "at the disposal of his party's bodies to provide the necessary explanations."
Hasselin also thanks citizens who have expressed their support to him: "Their confidence and their messages touch me particularly during this difficult period and strengthen my determination to make my version of the facts heard."
Source: DHnet