A couple was violently attacked in the parking lot of the Basilix Shopping Center in Brussels on Saturday, February 21, 2026, after confronting a scooter driver who was recklessly endangering pedestrians. The incident underscores the growing concerns about public safety in commercial areas.
According to reports, the couple, Marie-Aline and Gregory, along with their 8-year-old daughter, were shopping at the Basilix Shopping Center in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe when they witnessed a young man performing wheelies and driving at high speed in the parking area. The scooter driver nearly hit two children and their mother, prompting Marie-Aline to intervene.
“I saw a scooter doing wheelies in the parking lot at high speed. It grazed a mother with her two boys, it was a close call,” Marie-Aline recalled, as reported by RTL Info. “When he passed me, I told him he was crazy, irresponsible and had almost hit two children.”
The scooter driver then followed the couple into the shopping center. Marie-Aline stated that she immediately sensed the situation would escalate. “As soon as he got off his motorcycle and looked at me, I knew it was going to end badly,” she said.
Gregory intervened, telling the driver not to speak to his wife in that manner, before being violently struck in the face. Marie-Aline was likewise attacked when she attempted to defend her husband, according to BruxellesToday. Security personnel and police were eventually able to stop the assault.
The couple filed a police report, and Gregory required stitches for his injuries. Witnesses reported the incident via an alert button on RTL Info’s website. Laura, a witness, stated, “A young man on a scooter almost knocked over some children. A couple in their forties then told him to be careful. The young man stopped and beat the lady and her husband in front of their 8-year-old daughter.”
Security at the Basilix Shopping Center acknowledged that incidents are not uncommon, both within the building and in the parking lot, DHnet reported. The center’s director declined to comment further.
Adding to the concerns, reports indicate that the shopping center’s surveillance cameras were not functioning at the time of the attack, hindering potential evidence gathering, as noted by Sudinfo.
The Basilix Shopping Center’s Instagram page (@basilix_shopping_center) describes itself as a shopping center in Brussels with free parking.
