An investigating judge has released one of the men arrested as a suspect in the fatal stabbing of a woman in Brussels that occurred on Sunday, 30 May.
“The first indications of his involvement were not confirmed by the investigation,” the prosecutor’s office announced on Wednesday, according to Bruzz.
“In the meantime, another suspect has been placed under arrest since Friday, 4 June.”
The victim of the fatal stabbing was a 36-year-old mother, who was pushing her baby in a stroller while taking a walk in the neighbourhood of Evere when she was suddenly attacked and stabbed in the neck with a sharp object.
She was taken to a hospital, where she later died of her injuries. Her baby was unharmed. The murder is especially unusual because it took place in broad daylight on a public street, and was seemingly a random attack.
The police arrested a 21-year-old homeless man that same evening for manslaughter. The man was already known to police for more minor infractions and is said to be suffering from psychological issues, but he denied any involvement with the murder and has now been released.
Nord Eclair reported that the suspect has learning difficulties and was arrested while rummaging through the trash cans behind a gas station, after police found three pairs of scissors on him, one of which was bloody. The man said the blood on the scissors was his own.
The outlet also reported that two teenagers witnessed the crime - a young girl who tended to the victim and a young boy who ran after the killer, both of them just under the age of 16. Those witnesses reportedly confirmed that this first suspect was indeed not the killer.
The other suspect to be arrested will appear before the judge on Wednesday. The prosecutor’s office gave no further comment.
In the meantime, police are still looking for witnesses to the fatal stabbing and have asked that anyone with information contact the free number 0800 30 30 0, or send an email to opsporingen@police.belgium.eu.
