Man turns himself in in connection with Bruges stabbing

Police have arrested a man in connection with the stabbing death of a young man on the Markt square in Bruges. The man turned himself in to police in his home town of Leuven. The attack took place in the early morning hours of Friday, May 30. A second assailant has been identified but remains at large, police said.

Mikey Peeters, 19, a student at the hotel school in Kortrijk, was attacked by two men as he walked across the Markt at about 5.00 on Friday morning. Police later said he had been stabbed six times, four times in the back.

Meanwhile, the vehicle used by the suspects was found in Ostend and impounded by police. The car was missing its right front wheel, suggesting it had been involved in an accident. Following the release of artist’s impressions of the two suspects, police in Bruges received about 50 tips from the public. The investigation also turned up a pair of spectacles lost by one of the attackers.

The 21-year-old man in custody is being detained on suspicion of murder, a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office said. He will appear in court tomorrow to have his detention prolonged. The second assailant, also thought to be a man of about 20 from Leuven, is still at large.

In Bruges, people have left bouquets of flowers and other tributes near where the attack took place. On Saturday, music and other activities at the annual May Fair were silenced for five minutes as a mark of respect. A White March is planned for Wednesday evening in the city against senseless violence.

Today the hotel school where Peeters was a student will hold a memorial for him, including a march to the scene of the attack and a visit to the city hall to sign a book of condolence.

photo courtesy Het Nieuwsblad