Police in Uccle responded to a call from a distressed woman late on Tuesday evening, but when they arrived at the scene they made a gruesome discovery. The woman has been placed under arrest for murder.
On Tuesday evening at around 23:30, the Uccle/Watermael-Boitsfort/Auderghem police zone received a call from a desperate woman in a council flat on Chaussée de Neerstalle in Uccle. She said that she wanted to end her life.
Police officers arrived at the scene to find a confused 35-year-old woman, according to a press release. She was immediately treated by the ambulance crew, who were also on the scene. At the same time, police discovered a sordid crime: a mutilated and decomposing body was found in the apartment.
The Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office was informed and a judicial exclusion zone was set up. An examining magistrate also came to the scene. The woman was initially taken to hospital for treatment, but then brought before the examining magistrate who placed her under arrest for murder and handling a corpse. The investigation is still ongoing to reveal exactly what happened.
The victim has been identified and is said to be a 67-year-old man named Jean. He had been killed, decapitated and dismembered and parts of his body had been stored both inside the studio and on the balcony for around two months, Sudinfo reports. His head was found in a suitcase.
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Jean had regularly taken in the 35-year-old woman for several months prior, having met her when she was just out of a psychiatric hospital and had nowhere to stay. "In addition to her psychiatric history, the woman was already known for prostitution and drug addiction. Moreover, at the time of her arrest, she was probably under the influence of drugs," sources told Sudinfo.
Despite not being related to the victim, the woman told neighbours she was Jean's granddaughter. "She called him grandfather and was always knocking on his door to get money from him to buy drugs. Jean was a relatively discreet and isolated man, but since taking her in, there was often trouble at his house," a neighbour commented, who witnessed some of the events that raise questions.
"A few weeks ago, the police came to Jean's house. The woman kept shouting for help because a man – who claimed to be her ex-husband – was desperate to get into Jean's studio," the neighbour added. "The police said that only she had the right to stay there, but after they left, I think the ex-husband came back and she finally let him in. Jean was apparently dead by then. He hadn't been seen for about two months. Until now, we thought he had been in hospital or in a nursing home."
Almost four murders a day
Murders, assassinations and attempted murders increased by 17% in Belgium between 2019 and 2022, according to federal police statistics. In 2022, there were no fewer than 1,375 murders, assassinations and attempted murders – 3.7 murders and attempted murders a day.
As expected, Belgium's biggest cities recorded the most violence. There were 60 murders and attempted murders in Liège in 2022, for instance. "These are 60 incidents too many," lamented First Divisional Commissioner Christian Tesson. "But we need to put things into perspective: this figure has remained stable over the years despite the fact that the city is increasingly busy, and levels of violence have risen."
Meanwhile in Charleroi, there were 48 murders and attempted murders in 2022, primarily due to drug-related problems. "All this violence is linked to drug trafficking, with groups competing fiercely on the streets," David Quinaux, spokesperson for Charleroi's local police, told Sudinfo.
"Even a few grams of hashish can get you killed. There is no law on competition in this business: it's all about intimidation and settling scores."
