Marbella officers to face trial nine years after Belgian man’s death

MORE than nine years after his death, four Local Police officers from Marbella are to face trial for manslaughter of a Belgian citizen.
The hearing has been announced for November 3 at a Malaga Provincial Court, and the policemen will face charges of manslaughter by carelessness and omission of duty to provide assistance.
Lieve Franz Herman de Wilde died after being arrested on February 6, 2006 on his way home from the beach, his family claims.
According to his relatives, he was stopped by a police patrol and put up a fight as he had no idea why he was being arrested.
Yet the policemen declared that they had been called out to arrest a man walking the streets half naked in an obvious state of agitation.
The hostile attitude of the deceased combined with his size meant the officers had to forcefully reduce him, with one kneeling on his upper back and pulling his head back to keep him still, the Public Prosecutor said, but a post mortem examination determined the cause of his subsequent death as excessive cocaine and alcohol.
Yet a second examination ordered by the family stated the man died after being unable to breathe when his head was pulled back.
The deceased’s family has requested a total of seven years in jail for the four officers, yet the public prosecutor recommended a two year sentence for one officer but asked for the other three to be absolved as they had not applied excessive force.