Shoplifting at Nivelles Shopping Centre: two sisters convicted
Two sisters have been convicted by the Nivelles magistrates' court for shoplifting committed in a clothing store at the Shopping Centre, using gadgets to neutralise security tags.
Two sisters convicted for shoplifting at Nivelles Shopping Centre
On 16 April, security personnel at Nivelles Shopping Centre followed two customers leaving a ready-to-wear boutique. The two women were heading towards their car parked in the car park. The officers noticed that they were placing items in it that came not from purchases, but from theft.
Alerted, police officers went to the scene and searched the two individuals. They were carrying accessories that made it possible to deactivate anti-theft systems.
During their appearance before the Nivelles magistrates' court on 10 June, one of the defendants stated: "I don't know what came over me". Her accomplice mentioned a "pathological psychological problem". They admitted to the theft committed after passing through the changing rooms. Surveillance camera recordings confirm that their bags were fuller when leaving the shop than when they arrived.
On the other hand, they contested a second theft also attributed to them. The latter allegedly took place on 23 March 2026 in another clothing store in the same shopping mall. The images clearly show the two sisters browsing the centre on that day, but it was only after their arrest that the manager of this second establishment came forward. She had not filed a complaint beforehand, despite having noticed a fall in her inventory.
The lawyer for the two women argued that these elements were insufficient to establish their guilt for this second offence, requesting their acquittal on this count.
The public prosecutor had requested the application of community service hours. The judge ultimately decided differently: one of the accused received 15 months' suspended probation, whilst the other was sentenced to 80 hours of community service. Both must also pay a fine of 1,000 euros.
Source: DHnet
Source: DHnet