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Woman pushed in front of Brussels metro, man charged with attempted murder

14:34 16/01/2022

A man has been charged with attempted murder for pushing a woman on to a metro track in Brussels just seconds before a train approached.

Shocked bystanders saw the young man push the victim from behind at Rogier metro station on Friday evening, before running away through the metro tunnel.

Police identified him a few minutes later at De Brouckère station and arrested him. An investigating judge has appointed a psychiatric expert to assess the suspect's mental health. He is reported to be a 23-year-old Frenchman with no known connection to the victim.

"The driver braked suddenly when he saw someone on the tracks and stopped in time," a Stib spokeswoman said. "The driver reacted very well, but he and the victim are still in shock."

Passengers helped pick the woman up from the tracks. She was treated in hospital for a fractured shoulder. None of the train's passengers was injured by the sudden stop.

Brussels mobility minister Elke Van den Brandt praised the driver's quick reaction. "A woman was the victim of a terrible act of cowardice," she wrote on Twitter.

"The driver's alert response was able to avoid the worst-case scenario. My thoughts are with the victim, driver and witnesses."

Written by The Bulletin