Antwerp man arrested after beating transport employee unconscious

Antwerp man arrested after beating transport employee unconscious
A man beat a transport employee unconscious after the worker asked him to stop smoking inside the Diamant metro station in Antwerp. Credit: Simon Byron/Google Maps

A man was arrested on attempted manslaughter charges for beating an Antwerp public transport employee unconscious when he was asked to stop smoking inside a station.

The incident took place early on Saturday near Antwerpen-Centraal station, when a 38-year-old employee of public transport company De Lijn was alerted that a man was walking on the tracks.

The unidentified employee found the man, recognisable by his red coat, smoking on the platform of the nearby Diamant metro stop, according to De Standaard.

The man, 20, repeatedly ignored the employee's demands to extinguish his cigarette and went into a rage when he was asked to leave the station, picking up a nearby metal rod and beating the De Lijn worker with it.

The incident quickly escalated, with the attacker dealing several blows to his victim's back and head before fleeing the scene.

The victim lost consciousness and a lot of blood as a result of numerous head wounds, and was rushed to the hospital. He will not be able to work for at least ten days, HLN reports.

Police were able to locate and arrest the attacker after his escape who will be the subject of a police investigation.

"He was arrested, the further investigation is in the hands of the local police," a police spokesperson told HLN. "The suspect is being brought before an investigating judge for attempted manslaughter."

Gabriela Galindo

The Brussels Times


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