Prisoner allegedly murdered by fellow inmate in Saint-Gilles prison

A prisoner was murdered by another inmate in the prison of Saint-Gilles yesterday.

The man is alleged to have been killed by his cell mate, a Dutch national who was locked up on theft charges. The two men shared a cell in the medical wing of the Saint-Gilles prison. The alleged murderer was not in the cell when the body of his cell mate was found but in the office of the prison psychiatrist. 

The Brussels’ prosecutor’s office hasn’t released much information about the case. “We’ve asked for an investigative judge because this is a suspicious death,” the prosecutor’s office told VRT NWS. “They have ordered for an autopsy to be conducted, which has yet to take place.” In Belgium, investigative judges perform an independent, examining role and are actively involved in the investigation process.

It’s rare for murders to take place in Belgian prisons. The last time an inmate was murdered by a fellow prisoner was three years ago in Lantin, near Liège. There are no records of prison murders taking place in the 25 years before that.

Photo: Belga / Thierry Roge

Written by Linda A. Thompson