BRUSSELS - The Belgian government yesterday proposed new measures to reform the legal system in the wake of a series of child sex scandals which have shattered public confidence in the authorities. The Belgian Justice Minister, Mr Stefaan de Clerck, told a news conference after the weekly cabinet meeting that the government approved new legislation on parole procedures.
The decision to grant parole will no longer be taken by the justice minister but by a "multi-disciplinary commission" which has to take a unanimous decision. The government also introduced a "supplementary security measure" for recidivists and sex crime offenders who could be placed under the government's custody for up to 10 years after serving their normal sentence.
