Belgian Driver Found Guilty of Seven Counts of Manslaughter in Strépy Carnival Tragedy
A Belgian court has found Paolo Falzone guilty of seven counts of manslaughter and 80 counts of attempted manslaughter for driving his car into a crowd of carnival celebrants in Strépy-Bracquegnies in March 2022, in a case that has deeply shaken the nation. The jury at the assisen court of Mons rejected the more serious charge of murder, ruling there was insufficient evidence of premeditation.
The Verdict
On June 12, 2026, the assisenjury (jury court) of Mons delivered its verdict after weeks of testimony and deliberation on 322 separate questions. Falzone, 38, was found guilty of intentionally causing the deaths of seven people — a legal finding of doodslag (manslaughter with intent) — but not guilty of moord (murder with premeditation) on victim Frédéric D’Andrea, as the civil parties had requested. The jury accepted that Falzone had intent to kill (dolus eventualis) but rejected the claim that he had planned the act in advance.
According to VRT NWS, the judge stated in the motivating ruling: “Paolo Falzone turned his powerful car into a weapon. The road was a playground for him.” The court noted that Falzone’s BMW had been illegally tuned from approximately 250 to 355 horsepower — a 40% increase — without the knowledge of the leasing company, insurer, or vehicle registration authority. He called the vehicle his “petite bombe” (little bomb) and was known in his neighborhood as a reckless driver. The question, the court noted, was not if he would cause an accident, but when.
The Incident
On March 20, 2022, Falzone drove his BMW at 174 km/h (108 mph) through a 50 km/h (31 mph) zone in the Rue des Canadiens, striking a group of Gilles — traditional carnival performers in distinctive costumes — during the first carnival celebration after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. De Morgen reported that Falzone had been drinking and was recording a video on his phone while driving.
The seven victims were Vito Cascarano, Frederic Cicero, Frederic D’Andrea, Laure Gara, Michelina Imperiale, Salvatore Imperiale, and Christine Chavrepierre — who died two and a half years later from complications of her injuries. Dozens more were injured, some suffering catastrophic wounds.
Expert testimony revealed that Falzone never made an emergency stop. If he had braked immediately, his speed at impact would have been 34 km/h and he would have stopped after just four meters. Instead, he struck the group at 105 km/h, carrying victim Frederic D’Andrea 86 meters on the hood before running him over.
Passenger Also Convicted
Antonino F., who was a passenger in Falzone’s car, was found guilty of failure to render assistance (schuldig verzuim) to 59 people in distress. The court found that from the moment of the first impact, he knew what was happening and yet never offered help nor urged the driver to stop. Antonino F. shares Falzone’s surname but is not a family relation.
Community Reaction
HLN reported scenes of relief and tears in the courtroom as the verdict was read. Gregory D’Andrea, brother of victim Frederic D’Andrea, said: “Justice has done its work. Because honestly, we were afraid of what the jury would decide.” Victims and their families embraced each other after the session was adjourned.
Sentencing and Legal Significance
The sentencing phase is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16 (debate) and Wednesday, June 17 (pronouncement). Falzone faces up to 30 years in prison for manslaughter. The case sets a significant precedent in Belgian law for how courts treat cases where a vehicle is used as a weapon, occupying a middle ground between the prosecution’s request for murder (life imprisonment) and the defense’s argument for involuntary manslaughter (maximum five years).
Belgium’s assisen court system, the highest criminal court, consists of professional judges and a jury of 12 citizens who decide on guilt while judges determine the sentence. The trial took place in the expohallen (exhibition halls) of Mons due to the large number of parties involved — a reflection of the tragedy’s profound impact.
What’s Next
The small community of Strépy-Bracquegnies, where a monument of two drums now stands at the crash site, now awaits the final sentence. Many residents say they can no longer celebrate carnival as they once did. The case has also reignited debate in Belgium about illegal vehicle modifications and the enforcement of traffic laws against repeat offenders.
Whether the defense or prosecution will appeal the verdict remains an open question. For the families of the victims, the guilty verdict brings a measure of closure, but as one survivor told the court during the trial: “He has succeeded in destroying everything. No one can repair what happened.”