EU report finds people with disabilities in institutions lack legal protection in Belgium
Despite a decade of efforts across Europe to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, protection for people living in institutions remains insufficiently enshrined in national law, according to a report by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).
Across the European Union, more than 1.4 million people with disabilities live in institutional settings. The FRA report highlights that many people continue to experience neglect, abuse or even violence. Practices such as electroconvulsive therapy and forced sterilisation are not yet universally prohibited in the EU.
Social inclusion
The FRA calls on member states to move away from institutionalisation and promote social inclusion. Monitoring and reporting procedures must be strengthened, staff support and training improved and people with disabilities more involved in shaping policy.
The report criticises the lack of a harmonised approach in Flanders. “In the Flemish Region, protection against and prevention of violence is only specifically mentioned in legislation for youth care institutions, and not in laws for psychiatric care institutions, supported housing, or partnerships between psychiatric institutions and services,” it says.
The study, published on Thursday, also notes that Belgium still lacks a structured network to support victims of violence or abuse in institutions.
Nevertheless, the report praises certain developments. Every hospital or mental health platform in Flanders has an independent ombudsman, and formal complaint bodies make their data publicly available. Belgium also has detailed regulations governing coercive measures, including clear requirements on necessity, proportionality and risk of harm.
© PHOTO JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD
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