Prisoner found dead in Saint-Gilles prison cell

Prisoner found dead in Saint-Gilles prison cell
Credit: Belga

An unidentified prisoner of the Saint-Gilles penitentiary was found dead inside his cell early on Thursday, in circumstances which are under investigation.

Prison guards found the man dead, his throat slit, inside the cell, which was covered in blood, according to several reports on Belgian media.

The circumstances surrounding the man's death remain so far unclear, with staff with the public prosecutor's opened deployed on-site after the discovery of the body.

"We confirmed the unnatural death of the detainee, the investigation is in the hands of the public prosecutor," prison spokesperson Kathleen Van de Vijver told La Dernière Heure.

Citing "internal sources," the Francophone daily reports that an altercation between the dead prisoner and his cell partner had taken place some hours before the body was found.

The man's cell partner reportedly told a prison psychiatrist that he intended to take revenge and "do [the victim] in," the news site adds.

When officers discovered the prisoner's body, his cellmate was not inside the cell, according to reports.

Gabriela Galindo

The Brussels Times


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