Belgian police discovered the decomposing body of a woman (56) in a hotel room on Place Jean Rey, near the Berlaymont building, the headquarters of the European Commission, on Tuesday 15 January.
The woman had checked into the hotel on 26 December and probably died shortly after, according to initial findings, Het Nieuwsblad reports. When the authorities intervened, they found that the body was in an advanced state of decomposition, suggesting that she had died several weeks earlier.
"The laboratory and the forensic doctor attended the scene. There is no evidence of foul play. The body has been released to the family," the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office spokesperson told Het Nieuwsblad.
They confirmed that the death was suspicious, but ruled out any third-party intervention. The exact cause of death remains unknown. Investigators are also trying to understand how hotel staff could have failed to notice the situation for such a long period of time.
The hotel manager declined to comment, saying only that an investigation is ongoing.
