The bill aims to render “opposing, by violence or threats, the intervention of emergency services” a particular offence in the Luxembourg Penal Code, and was adopted unanimously on Tuesday.
In 2018, no less than 63 attacks against emergency and security services were reported. This is “an unacceptable figure against which we must act", according Stéphanie Empain, who proposed the bill.
Gilles Roth of The Christian Social People's (CSV) party drew attention to the fact that the nature of opposition that would be considered illegal had to be clearly defined: verbal aggression, for example, was not rebellious.
The Minister of Justice, Felix Braz, also stressed this point and said that while there was preexisting jurisprudence that defined the concept of rebellion, not every action that disrupts the work of these bodies amounts to rebellion within the meaning of the Penal Code. For this reason, a clear and precise definition is a good idea.
Felix Braz emphasised that it was not just a matter of getting the message out that punishments would be more severe, but also that a culture that allows rescue personnel to do their jobs properly needs to be developed.
Minister for Home Affairs Taina Bofferding agreed that more severe sanctions are needed to protect emergency services: this means a zero tolerance against aggressive behaviour.
