New Penal Code: Charleroi Prosecutor Warns of Delays

The year 2026 has already started but the hardest part is yet to come for the Charleroi Public Prosecutor’s Office: the entry into force of the new Penal Code as well as the implementation of new IT tools. “It’s a challenge because we have known the current Penal Code since we studied”explains Vincent Fiasse, the King’s prosecutor of Charleroi. “A new Penal Code fundamentally changes things, both in terms of the classification of facts and in terms of penalties. We will have to get used to it, have new reflexes. This will also be particular for all acts committed before the entry into force of the new Code: they will have to have a double qualification. We will also have to seek the most lenient sentence. All this will require legal work and significant work of reflection on the part of all those involved in justice. From then on, justice will operate more slowly.” Consequently, the Charleroi King’s Prosecutor fears that the criminal response rate will decrease. “For 2025, this rate is 73.8%, it is the best figure ever reached in Charleroi (58.5% in 2024). This means that almost 3/4 of the pursueable cases have indeed been prosecuted.” Vincent Fiasse is proud of this figure but fears he will not be able to maintain it for 2026.