A young man in his twenties was arrested on Wednesday evening, found armed with a knife close to the home of the mayor of Bruges.
The suspect had previously sent threatening emails to Mayor Dirk De fauw (CD&V), according to the Bruges division of the West Flanders Prosecutor’s Office. Approximately at 22:00 on Wednesday, the young man rang the doorbell of a house neighbouring that of the mayor, asking to speak with him. The residents, alarmed by the situation, promptly notified the police.
The suspect was subsequently found in the alley leading to De fauw’s residence. Upon his arrest, the 25-year-old local had a knife in his possession.
Investigations revealed that the suspect had sent several threatening messages to the mayor in recent months. Following his interview, the young man will therefore be referred to the investigative judge in Bruges for carrying an unauthorised weapon and harassment. The investigation aims to determine his motives.
It should be noted that Dirk De fauw had previously been the target of an assassination attempt on 20 June 2020.
