Hostage situation in Belgium ends fatally: victim (21) died | Abroad

A man broke into his ex-girlfriend’s house on Rodenbachstraat in Merksplas at 05:45 this morning. The 40-year-old wanted to speak to his ex-girlfriend. He held the woman hostage in the house for hours. A co-resident of the woman was able to flee from the house. She warned the police.

The man is said to have killed the woman’s 21-year-old son during the hostage situation. The Antwerp public prosecutor confirms that the young man has died. He would have been stabbed to death.

The house was surrounded by police. The special units of the federal police were also called up and arrived on the scene.

“The man has holed up in the house with the woman. At 11.40 am he came out after he was talked into, and he could be overpowered,” says Kristof Aerts of the prosecutor’s office. The man will be arraigned before the investigating judge on Sunday.

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