Procedural error sets the former partner of murdered Schaerbeek café owner Diana free without conditions
The man had spent almost two years in pre-trial detention over the death of the coffee bar owner, and prosecutors are opening two inquiries into what went wrong.
The Brussels indictments chamber on Friday released the former partner of Diana, the 36-year-old owner of a coffee bar on the Diamantlaan in Schaerbeek who was stabbed to death on 3 December 2024. The prosecutor's office and the prosecutor general's office confirmed this in the evening, Bruzz reports. According to An Schoonjans, spokeswoman for the prosecutor general's office, it concerned a technical debate over a procedural issue that was settled in the suspect's favour. The victim's family was informed immediately.
The exact problem was not officially disclosed. DH writes that it involved a failure in communication between the prosecutor's office, the prison and the suspect during an appeal. According to the Brussels prosecutor's office, the prison administration itself had flagged a possible shortcoming. The prosecutor's office has opened a criminal and an administrative inquiry to establish how this could happen, DH says.
The man had been in pre-trial detention since early December 2024 and is suspected of murder. According to Bruzz and VRT NWS, the former couple were in dispute over a jointly owned flat, and he allegedly harassed her frequently after the break-up. The judicial investigation has been closed, and the chamber must soon decide whether to send him to the assize court. In June a memorial stone for Diana was laid on the Diamantlaan.