An 84-year-old man has been arrested for attempted murder after he tried to strangle another resident at the nursing home where he lives in Nijlen, Antwerp Province, on Saturday morning.
The elderly man, who suffers from dementia, had only been staying at the Heilig Hart care centre in Nijlen for about two weeks.
On Saturday morning, he entered the room of a 93-year-old woman and attempted to strangle her. The care staff intervened quickly and prevented the woman from sustaining serious injuries.
The man was arrested and a judge issued an arrest warrant on Sunday afternoon. He was transferred to the medical ward of Bruges prison, which accommodates inmates with health issues.
The octogenarian has no known previous offences. He is expected to appear before the advisory board on Friday, which will decide whether he remains in detention.
