Hilde Van Acker, the only Belgian woman on the "most wanted" list of Europol, was arrested on Thursday together with her partner Jean-Claude Lacote.
This news was reported by VTM, and spread by Belgian media sources.
Little else is known about the circumstances of their arrest.
Who is Hilde Van Acker?
Van Acker, from the city of Sint-Niklaas in the East-Flanders province, disappeared in 1996 after she and her boyfriend murdered a British businessman in the Belgian coastal municipality of De Haan. The man was killed by two bullets in the neck, reports Het Nieuwsblad.
In 2011, the two were sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment and have been on the Belgian ‘Most Wanted’ list of the federal police Fugitive Active Search Team since then.
Crime has no gender
Europol, the law enforcement agency of the European Union, launched the ‘Crime has no gender’ campaign in October. On the website, 21 criminals are shown hidden behind a mask, 18 of which are women. With just a few clicks, visitors of the website can read about their crimes and see their faces.
With the campaign, Europol wants to show that crimes committed by women are often just as severe as those committed by men.
The criminals on the list are wanted for crimes including murder, human trafficking and drug offences. “The intention is to emphasize that diversity and gender balance can also be found in crime,” said Tine Hollevoet from Europol, reports VRT NWS.
“The goal is to attract as many visitors to the website as possible. Experience has taught us that the more people see fugitives, the better the chances are to find and arrest them,” she added.
Jules Johnston
The Brussels Times
