25-year-old Singaporean student stabbed to death in Belgium after confrontation with local youths
A 25-year-old Singaporean student studying in Belgium has died after being stabbed near his dormitory in Brussels in the early hours of Thursday (Nov 7).
This came after an altercation with two youths who had reportedly harassed him and his friends earlier in the evening.
Media outlet Het Nieuwsblad reported that the Singaporean student was in the city centre with two female friends when two 18-year-old youths approached them.
One of the suspects, who was riding a scooter, allegedly asked the student for a cigarette and then demanded his mobile phone.
When he refused, the suspects continued to follow the group as they walked back towards Sint-Pietersstraat, where the two female students reside.
Upon reaching the dormitory area, the suspects confronted the student once again.
During the ensuing altercation, one of the suspects reportedly pulled out a knife and stabbed the student in the abdomen.
Despite his attempts to resist, he sustained critical injuries.
His two friends immediately contacted the police as the suspects fled the scene.
Police responded to the incident, arriving at Rue Saint-Pierre at approximately 2.30am local time (9.30am Singapore time), and the student was transported to hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Authorities have since cordoned off the area and launched a full investigation.
The two 18-year-old males have been identified and detained by the Brussels police after house searches.
The Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed that an investigating judge had been dispatched to the scene, and the case remains under investigation.
Preliminary findings indicate that the suspects' initial approach and subsequent confrontation led to the fatal stabbing.
