Belgian-Moroccan Suspect in Child Kidnapping Case Vanishes Before Trial

Will Abderrahman Laktit be present at his trial for kidnapping on April 22 before the Tongeren Assize Court? Nothing is certain. "We think he is on the run," it is said. The units went to Abderrahman’s home and noticed that there was no one there. The thirtysomething is accused of a double hostage-taking, including the longest child kidnapping for ransom in Belgian history. The president of the court had to appoint a new lawyer for Laktit, the Antwerp defendant having already thanked his previous defender for his services.

Last week, the defendant was conspicuous by his absence during the constitution of the jury, only the new lawyer was present. "I was appointed ex officio as his lawyer," declares his new defender, Tom Van Overbeke. "This happened very recently. So I refrain from any other comment for the moment." The public prosecutor’s office has two weeks to bring the Antwerp resident to Tongeren.

Abderrahman is the second of three brothers. Since 2016, he has been a member of the so-called "Maaseik group", led by the extremist and main suspect in the Assizes case, Khalid Bouloudo. He grew up in the Antwerp district of De Dam, whose most famous former resident is the drug baron Dikke Nordin.

With his brothers and five other individuals, they are on trial for the kidnapping that occurred in 2020: the kidnapping of a 13-year-old from Genk. They failed to obtain the five million euro ransom they demanded to release the victim. 42 days after the kidnapping, the teenager was released and other perpetrators were arrested.

Before February 2020, the Laktit brothers had kidnapped and mistreated an Anderlecht resident from Brussels for four days in the basement of the house where the armed police units stormed on Tuesday. The Laktit brothers had electrocuted him with a taser, before threatening him with death. After realizing he had no money, they finally released him.