My sister was killed by Daesh in the Brussels terrorist attacks of 2016. When you become a victim of a terrorist attack, your life, your values, and your sense of security are completely shattered.
During the acute and post-acute phases, it's impossible to find words to describe your feelings and emotions. Some help was provided, but it was unsuitable for our needs. Over time, you feel lonely and lost, like an alien in the world, divided from society. This is exactly what terrorism seeks to achieve.
To understand the emotions and situations I was experiencing, I needed contact with fellow victims and survivors. However, in Belgium, there was no association for victims of terrorism. Consequently, I approached a French association for the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks. Meeting them transformed my situation: without needing to explain my feelings, I finally found someone who understood me. I was no longer alone. Hope was resurrected.
That was the moment I realized the need to create an association in Belgium, which would be called V-Europe. Within 24 hours of its existence, more than 50 victims called me, and we discovered we all had the same needs. We organized the very first reunion where we could meet among ourselves and safely share our deepest emotions. It was a historic first in Belgium.
With the association, we could provide a collective voice and were immediately received by the Belgian Parliamentary Enquiry Commission. The MPs were shocked by our testimonies; we were shocked that they didn’t know how dire our situation was. The Government immediately launched a Taskforce, and together we started tackling the issues.
Providing efficient support to victims of terrorism is a very complex matter. It can only be successfully achieved when all involved parties, particularly the government and associations, collaborate. To collaborate efficiently, you need to trust your partners. Building trust takes time. A victim or survivor has no time; they need appropriate support immediately.
In Belgium, we learned this harsh reality the hard way. It was a long and difficult journey, but today significant progress has been made in supporting victims and survivors of terrorism. We are still far from an ideal situation, but we keep working, especially for future victims.
As a Belgian minister once told me: “We always think we know, until the day we are truly confronted with it.” I can only agree with this sentiment. Let us all be prepared; let us all learn from Member States who have suffered terrorism.
V-Europe learned a great deal from France and Spain, in particular. Spain’s ethical approach towards victims of terrorism is commendable. Europe also made significant strides forward with analyses of needs and Directives. V-Europe is now a member of the DG JUST Victims’ Rights platform and is in continuous contact with the Victims’ Coordinator. Our years of intensive work, listening, and learning have also made us a member of the Steering Committee of the EUCVT. I stand here today as a Co-Leader from the RAN Working Group on Victims of Terrorism.
I often traveled to Iraq to support victims of ISIS. For victims like us, there is fraternity, and we all have the same needs: dignity, justice, truth, and memory. As a wise man once said, “Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere.
”Keep the company of those who seek the truth—run from those who claim to have found it. Let us continuously learn from each other and provide support to each other.
Thanks to the UN and UNOCT, we can do this on a global scale. We are not powerless. We have our solidarity and humanity.ng here...