A 15-year-old boy was stabbed at Harelbeke station in West Flanders this morning. He was taken to hospital but his life is not in any danger. The police were able to arrest a suspect, a 28-year-old man of Slovakian origins. The attacker’s motive is still unclear.
The stabbing happened at 8.15 a.m., during the busy morning rush hour. A 15-year-old boy, on his way to school, wanted to take the train and was suddenly stabbed on the steps to the platform by an unknown man.
The boy was injured and taken to hospital. His life is not in any danger. The victim is a pupil at the Sint-Pauluscollege in Waregem (West Flanders).
The perpetrator fled the scene, but the police were able to apprehend a suspect shortly afterwards. The suspect is a 28-year-old man of Slovakian origins.
Motive unclear
‘Camera footage quickly revealed who the potential perpetrator was,’ says Michaël Vannieuwenhuyze, mayor of Harelbeke. ‘The police acted swiftly and were able to apprehend this person in Harelbeke itself, a few streets away. He was arrested without any problems.’
There appears to be no connection between the perpetrator and the victim. It is unclear why the attacker stabbed the boy. An investigation is still ongoing.