Terror trial in Brussels deeply affects jurors: eight of the twelve in therapy | Domestic

For six months, the twelve jurors were confronted with the many testimonies and harsh images of that black day in March 2016. This had a significant impact on them. As many as eight of the twelve jurors are still in therapy more than three months after the end of the trial.

These are jurors who have actually been seated, Justice spokeswoman Sharon Beavis confirmed in ‘The Morning’. The conversations that the jurors have with their therapist are confidential, but according to information from the FPS Justice, they are said to suffer from stress-related complaints, depressive feelings and anxiety.

Thanks to a new project from the ministry, jurors from assize trials can undergo therapy. They each receive ten free sessions with a psychologist. “The eight people who appealed for the offer during the attacks process are not alone. For the time being, the total number of former jury members is eleven. These other persons come from two other assize cases,” the spokeswoman explained. “That figure is still on the low side, but that has everything to do with the fact that the supply is not yet known on a large scale. We expect that figure to increase significantly towards next year.”

The FPS Justice proactively informs former jury members about this possibility, it said. “They are free to comment on this or not after the process.” If there is still a need for guidance after the ten sessions, the person in question can continue the therapy with the same therapist. In addition, they are “eligible for a limited reimbursement from the government.”

Whether those ten sessions are enough is “strongly personal”, but will be evaluated “based on the demand we see next year”. “The process of the attacks was an interesting indicator in that respect. There you see that about one in five of the people still claim it. Their evaluation will also be important to the evaluation of this project,” said Sharon Beavis.