In a landmark court case, a Belgian man with an extremely rare metabolic condition that causes his body to produce alcohol had a drink-driving charge against him dismissed on Monday. The 40-year-old man was able to prove that he has auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), a condition that causes carbohydrates in his stomach to be fermented, increasing ethanol levels in his blood and giving signs of intoxication.
Lawyer Anse Ghesquiere, who represented the man, confirmed the unusual case to AFP after it was reported by Belgian media. She emphasized that scientists believe the number of ABS cases in the world is underestimated and that only around 20 people globally have been officially diagnosed with the condition.
The man had been pulled over by police in April 2022 after registering breathalyzer readings of 0.91 milligrammes of alcohol per litre and then 0.71 milligrammes a month later. However, despite protesting that he had not consumed any alcohol, he had previously received a fine and a driving licence suspension in 2019 due to his condition.
The man, who was unaware of his syndrome until his encounters with the police, is now following a carbohydrate-light diet to avoid producing more alcohol in his stomach. Ghesquiere mentioned they were awaiting formal notification of the acquittal and that the prosecution service had one month to appeal if they chose to. At his initial court appearance, the prosecutor requested that he abstain from consuming any alcoholic beverages.