Kurdish family unhappy with reduced jail sentence for Belgian cop that killed their daughter

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The family of Mawda Shamdin, a 2-year-old Kurdish girl who was fatally shot by a police officer in Belgium three years ago, were angered when they learned the sentence of the police officer responsible has been reduced, Belgian media reported on Friday.

On May 17, 2018, Shamdin died after police shot at a van they were pursuing that was carrying about 30 migrants near the city of Mons in southern Belgium. The pursuit started because police suspected the van was being used by human traffickers.

Police officer V.J. was sentenced on Thursday by the Bergen Court of Appeal to a 10-month suspended prison sentence, reports the Belgian newspaper HLN. Furthermore, he has to pay a fine of 400 euros. Earlier this year he was sentenced to a one-year suspended jail sentence.

Now the officer must comply with a series of conditions for three years in order not to end up in jail.

Mawda's parents are disappointed with the reduced sentence and the fact that the police officer is still free.

"The court plays with our feelings," said father Ali Shamdin (27) angrily, reported HLN. “To us, that police officer is a murderer. After all these years of proceedings, we expected much more from it.”

The Algemeen Dagblad, a Dutch newspaper, reported that the family of Mawda asked to sentence the police officer for "deliberate assault and battery resulting in death, but with no intent to kill."

However, the court judged that the police officer made a mistake and had no intent to kill Mawda. They also took in consideration his years of work and lack of criminal record.

Mawda's parents are now living in Belgium after they were allowed to stay after the death of their daughter.