The trial of 21-year-old Arthur Fritz, charged with the murder of Esteban Soltau Diaz in 2022, began on Monday in the Namur Assize Court with the reading of the indictment by Public Prosecutor Éric De Scheemaekere.
The events occurred on 17 November 2022. The police were called at 6.13 p.m. to a fight involving the use of a knife that had just occurred on Rue de l’Inquiétude in Namur. Esteban Soltau Diaz (18) had just been stabbed with a knife by Fritz, who fled immediately.
A security perimeter was set up. The young man was lying unconscious on the ground in a pool of blood. Initial findings revealed a 3-centimetre gash on the left side of his ribcage. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
When questioned, relatives of the victim explained that Esteban and Arthur Fritz’s girlfriend had kissed three days earlier. The young man reportedly said that he did not know that the girl was in a relationship with the accused.
The two young men agreed to meet on the day of the incident to ‘discuss things.’ The accused immediately became aggressive, punching Esteban Soltau in the face several times. Soltau then pulled out a 10-centimetre kitchen knife but dropped it on the ground. The accused picked it up, stabbed his rival and fled.
Arthur Fritz was arrested at a friend’s house after the incident. He said he had acted in self-defence.
