A third suspect involved in an incident on Friday evening in which a 15-year-old boy was set on fire in the Brussels municipality of Anderlecht has handed himself over to the police. Like the other 2 suspects in the case, he is a minor. The Halle-Vilvoorde Prosecutor’s Office reports that he will appear before a juvenile magistrate today (Tuesday 3 February). Meanwhile, the 2 other suspects have been sent to a youth detention centre.
Third suspect hands himself in after boy was doused with petrol and set alight
Mike Barlow
Published:
At around 7pm on Friday (30 January), a 15-year-old-boy was doused in petrol and set on fire near to the Biestebroekkaai in Anderlecht. The boy rushed to the nearby canal and jumped in to extinguish to flames. However, this was not before he had sustained severe burned. He was taken to the specialist burns unit of the Military Hospital at Neder-Over-Heembeek (Brussels) where he is still in an induced coma.
The incident is reported to have come about as a result of a conflict between two rival gangs. However, the exact circumstances are still being investigated. 3 suspects have now been detained. The first, a 16-year-old boy from the East Flemish town of Dendermonde appeared before a juvenile magistrate on Sunday. He has been sent to the secure youth detention centre at Everberg in Flemish Brabant. A second suspect, a 14-year-boy from the Halle-Vilvoorde area of Flemish Brabant, was also sent by the juvenile magistrate to the secure youth detention centre at Evereberg on Monday.
On Monday evening, the Halle-Vilvoorde Prosecutor’s office reported that a third suspect, a 15-year-old boy, had handed himself in to police.
It is possible that other minors were involved, including another suspect from the Halle-Vilvoorde area. Although the suspects are from outside the capital, the Brussels Prosecutor’s Office is in charge of the investigation as the incident occurred withing the Brussels-Capital Region.
Mayor and police chief respond with shock
The Mayor of Anderlecht Fabrice Cumps (Francophone socialist) and the Chief Commissioner of the Brussels South Local Police Service Jurgen De Landsheer visited the victim’s family on Monday afternoon.
Mr Cumps is shocked and dismayed to what has happened. “The young age of the victim, as well as the exceptional severity of the crime, the victim was doused with petrol by several people and then set on fire, make this incident particularly shocking”, Mayor Cumps said.