It has not been shown that bullying is involved in the case between the cyclist who knocked down a five-year-old girl with his knee in the High Fens at the end of 2020, and the father who filmed the incident and distributed the images on the internet. That is what the civil court of Verviers ruled on Tuesday in the case in which the cyclist is claiming compensation. However, the court ruled that new debates will arise about a possible reclassification of the facts. Earlier, the cyclist had been given a suspended sentence by the criminal court for the accident.
The pleadings are scheduled from April 4, which should then culminate in a verdict. The cyclist believes in the light of the media smear that the father of the child had made a mistake by distributing the video. Before the civil court, the man therefore demands compensation that corresponds to the value of his bicycle, namely 4,500 euros.
The court in Verviers also reopened the debates on Tuesday so that the parties can set out whether the rights of the cyclist or the father have been violated, whether the father’s right to freedom of expression is in balance with the cyclist’s personal rights and whether the principle of proportionality is respected.
“My client is not out to make money from this. He wants to make it clear that you can’t just post everything on social media. The consequences of the video were dramatic for him. He has not been on his bike since the incident. said the cyclist’s lawyer, Master Culot, in November last year.
Also watch the images of the incident on Christmas Day 2020 in the High Fens:
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