Sint-Jans-Molenbeek (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – An elderly person aged over 65 passed away when an unknown individual pushed him into falling from an elevated position during an altercation at Molenbeek. Public safety officers have distributed an official search bulletin to locate the offender.
An 85-year-old male died after an unidentified person injured him inside the Lidl supermarket located on Gentesteenweg in Molenbeek. The elderly male died after a fight took place on March 8 at 3:30 PM because he suffered injuries which eventually became fatal in the hospital.
The police are looking for a thin man of 25–30 years old with a beard wearing glasses, together with light-grey training clothing and black sneakers, along with a patterned beige hat.
What Is the historical context of elderly victimisation in Molenbeek?
Molenbeek within the Brussels-Capital Region lacks accessible information about local crime statistics related to elderly assault incidents. A wide cross-section of Belgian older adults (513 individuals aged 70 years or older) generated clear results: 44% admitted to sexual violence in their lifetimes, and 8% experienced attacks during the past year.
The findings revealed that unknown individuals made up the largest percentage of attackers, which mirrored the circumstances in the March 2024 Molenbeek supermarket assault, with an unidentified perpetrator. Studies in Belgium document two main forms of elder abuse: financial exploitation happens to 7.6% of victims, while physical abuse occurs among 2.5% of older adults.
The violent crime statistics in Brussels rose sharply during the first four months of 2024, reaching 89 reported shootings compared to 2023 numbers. The infrequent targeting of older adults by firearm crimes underscores the rising security problems across regions in this country. EU reports indicate elder abuse connections through social isolation and institutional neglect, but the Molenbeek incident showed public rather than care-based abuse.
