A 30-year-old man escaped last week from Kortrijk prison, the prison administration confirmed on Tuesday, following a report by Focus WTV.
The police are still searching for the escaped prisoner.
The suspect broke through a window at the prison and made his escape on Friday, but the incident is only now being revealed.
“He is a 33-year-old man from West Flanders who was convicted of drug-related offences,” Kathleen Van De Vijver of the prison administration told Belga. “He was in Bruges prison earlier this year, where he was working on his addiction problems. He had been allowed out of prison several times and there had never been any problems.
“He was determined to tackle his problems, especially as he had recently become a father. There were no signs that he was going to continue,” De Vijver added.
The detention centre opened a few months ago in a former nursing home.
