© picture alliance / AA | Dursun Aydemir
In the trial held at the Bergen Expo Halls in the Belgian province of Hainaut, Paolo Falzone, the man who drove his car into a carnival parade on March 20, 2022, killing seven people, found guilty of manslaughter of seven victims. He faces up to 30 years in prison.
At the criminal trial against Paolo Falzone, which began in early May, the central question was whether he had acted intentionally when, on March 20, 2022, shortly after 5 a.m., he drove at high speed into a group of carnival revelers in Strépy-Bracquegnies, Wallonia, near La Louvière. The prosecution charged him with manslaughter of seven people and attempted manslaughter of 81 injured individuals.
Falzone was driving at 174 km/h on a street with a 50 km/h speed limit, accelerated just before the collision, drove more than 250 meters through the group, and then continued driving for another 1.1 kilometers. He also filmed the drive with his cell phone. His blood alcohol level was slightly above the legal limit. After the crash, he did not call emergency services, but his mother.
Over the years, Falzone gave conflicting statements, but insisted that he did not see the crowd and did not act intentionally. His driving record, however, told a different story: his criminal record included prior convictions for drunk driving, an illegally modified car, and multiple admitted traffic violations.
On Wednesday, at the trial, he asked the victims for forgiveness: “I want to say that I am aware that I drove like a madman, like an irresponsible person, but I never wanted to kill anyone.”
The jury found that Paolo Falzone had intentionally killed the seven victims of the tragedy in Strépy-Bracquegnies. Because the charge is manslaughter rather than murder, Paolo Falzone avoids a life sentence, the harshest possible punishment. However, the driver does face a prison sentence of up to thirty years.
Antonino Falzone, Paolo’s cousin and passenger that day, was also found guilty of failing to render aid to a person in distress.
Picture: © picture alliance / AA | Dursun Aydemir