A 56-year-old social worker was killed during a home visit on Wednesday, confirmed the East Flanders Public Prosecutor's Office and the Ghent city council. The victim was reportedly stabbed to death.
The incident took place in a social housing unit on Kikvorsstraat in the Nieuw Gent neighbourhood. The victim, who worked for the Public Centre for Social Welfare (PCSW), was making home visits. As he had not returned, a colleague raised the alarm.
The police were called and found the man's body at the address of the last home visit. He was stabbed to death, Belga News Agency reports based on information from a reliable source.
An investigation was launched, and the examining magistrate, the laboratory, the forensic pathologist, and the emergency exit team arrived at the scene.
Suspected of murder
The resident, a 38-year-old man, was not present but was arrested after a search in the city centre. He will be questioned by an examining magistrate, who will decide on his detention.
How the social worker was killed has not yet been disclosed. An autopsy will be performed on the victim, but the external examination revealed that the man was killed by stab wounds.
An investigation has been opened for murder, but it is not yet known what the suspect has stated about the circumstances of the incident. The man was not previously known to the police or the judiciary, but the East Flanders Public Prosecutor's Office cannot yet confirm that information.
The prosecutor's office is not providing any further details about the investigation at this time.
All centres closed
In the meantime, all PCSW service centres, welfare offices, and other relevant services will remain closed until Monday 18 August. Telephone calls will also be unanswered during this period, the unions ACOD and ACV Public Services announced in a letter to the city council and management.
According to the unions, there is great fear among staff, and the closure may later be extended to other public services of the Ghent Group. "That someone should pay with their life for doing their job is completely unacceptable," said union secretaries Stephan Van de Meirssche (ACOD) and Peter Wieme (ACV).
They point to increasing aggression against city and emergency services workers, including ambulance and fire personnel, and counter staff at the Blaarmeersen. The unions demand that the Ghent Group "do everything in its power" to guarantee the safety of its staff.
