Four Moroccan Inmates Foiled in Belgian Prison Escape Attempt

The inmates had meticulously planned their escape. They managed to remove bricks from their cell to make their way to the exit. It was when they tried to climb the one-meter fence of the prison to find themselves outside that the prison alarm went off. It was around three o’clock in the morning. The four detainees were easily intercepted and taken back to their cells, reports Het Nieuwsblad cited by La Dernière Heure.

The Antwerp public prosecutor’s office confirmed the information. An investigation has been opened to understand the modus operandi of the prisoners who managed to leave their cell without difficulty and without alerting the guards. The four Moroccan prisoners "are not necessarily very big criminals, but they are far from being choir boys," informs the Dutch-speaking Belgian media. They tried to escape to avoid deportation to Morocco, as part of an agreement signed between Belgium and Morocco.

But they risk little for this failed escape attempt, as this offense is not punishable in Belgium. The accused were simply placed in solitary confinement for a long period. Their deportation is nevertheless not excluded. Escapes are becoming recurrent in Belgium. In April, a prisoner had managed to escape from the Hoogstraten prison, in the province of Antwerp. In January, another had also escaped from the Lantin prison.