Teen Robs Same Delhaize Twice, Released Both Times

A 16-year-old boy from Ukkel (Brussels) robbed the same Proxy Delhaize supermarket in Linkebeek, Flemish Brabant, twice within four days — and was released both times after arrest because no space was available in a closed youth detention facility. The case has sparked outrage among victims and renewed scrutiny of Belgium’s chronic shortage of places for juvenile offenders.

The Robberies

The first robbery took place on Saturday evening, May 23, near closing time. According to the store owner, who has run the Proxy Delhaize for 20 years, two masked youths stormed the supermarket, brandished a large knife, threatened the young cashier, and fled with the contents of the register. Speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws, the owner described the scene: “Two boys stormed the store wearing masks. They went to the two cash registers at the entrance, then pulled out a large knife and threatened the young cashier.”

CCTV footage allowed police to quickly identify the suspect. He was arrested on Sunday, May 24 — but was released shortly afterward because there was no room in a closed youth detention facility.

Just three days later, on Wednesday evening, the same 16-year-old returned to the same store. This time he was unmasked but wore gloves, and again wielded the same large black-handled knife. Staff attempted to stop him, but he fled with cash from the register. “This time he wasn’t wearing a mask, but he did wear gloves. Again the large knife with a black handle was pulled out,” the store owner told HLN.

Police re-arrested the teenager after a house search recovered the stolen money. The juvenile judge ordered placement in a closed institution — but once again, no space was available, and the teenager was released for a second time.

A Systemic Crisis

The case is not an isolated incident but a symptom of a deep-rooted crisis in Belgium’s juvenile justice system. The closed youth detention facility “De Grubbe” in Everberg, the main facility for the Brussels and Flemish regions, has been operating at or above capacity for years. In 2025, De Grubbe recorded 697 admissions — an 11% increase from 629 in 2024, and more than double the 325 admissions recorded five years earlier, according to VRT NWS.

As of May 2026, approximately 150 minors were on the waiting list for a place in a closed youth detention facility on the French-speaking side alone, BRUZZ reported. In April 2026, 10 delinquent juveniles were released in a single week due to lack of space.

The Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office has repeatedly sounded the alarm. In November 2025, the prosecutor highlighted the case of a 16-year-old suspected of rape, serious assault, armed robbery, and weapons possession who was on position 73 on the waiting list for a closed institution, as VRT NWS documented. The prosecutor described the situation as “institutional mistreatment” and “culpable neglect,” emphasizing that the releases are “not due to unwillingness of justice, but due to the lack of political action to provide the necessary resources that the sector has been asking for for more than 20 years.”

Victims and Staff Speak Out

The cashier and colleagues at the Proxy Delhaize described the situation as “a low point in the judicial system,” according to HLN. The store owner, who has run the supermarket for two decades, noted that similar incidents have occurred about five times previously. No physical injuries were reported, but staff were left traumatized.

Frustration also prevails within police services and the public prosecutor’s office. They warn that the shortage of places has serious consequences — not only for victims but also for public safety.

What’s Next?

The case of the 16-year-old who robbed the same Delhaize twice in four days is a textbook example of the systemic failure: a teenager already known to authorities, committing serious armed robbery, with a judicial order for closed placement that could not be executed due to capacity constraints. The cycle of release and reoffending undermines both public safety and the credibility of the justice system.

Minister Valérie Lescrenier, responsible for Youth and Youth Care for the French Community, acknowledged the “very serious situation” in November 2025 and announced plans including the construction of a new 33-place facility in Vorst (Forest) by 2028 — a timeline widely criticized as too slow and insufficient to address the scale of the crisis. Whether the Linkebeek case will prompt renewed political urgency remains an open question.