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Brussels hostage-taker has 'mental health problems', father says
The man who on Tuesday held at least 15 people hostage at a Carrefour supermarket in Forest is the son of an alderman of the Brussels municipality, reports Knack. The young man suffers with psychological problems, according to his father.
In a statement to the Sudpresse newspapers on Tuesday, Ahmed Ouartassi, minister of sports and school activities in Forest, "expressed deep dismay over the actions of one of his four children, who has suffered for years with psychological problems," said mayor Jean-Marc Ghyssels, who gave no further comment on the matter.
The man, armed with a knife, held at least 15 people hostage in a Carrefour supermarket in Chaussée d'Alsemberg. Special police units immediately arrived on the scene, where the man eventually surrendered. There were no injuries.
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Hello, As the court case for the hostage taker Ouartassi is now underway, I was looking at the media to get any information on the event. I was one of the 5 women he ordered to crouch down at his feet under the threat of a gun with 6 bullets in it, and this for a duration of one and a half hours. It is very frustrating to read in all of the newspapers at the time that it was a small crime with no victims. I can assure you that I have not yet recovered from the terror of that evening. Thank you for taking time to read this e-mail. Yours Christine Lane