Anderlecht (Brussels Morning Newspaper) September 15, 2026 – Two women have died following a violent knife-related incident at a residential property in the Brussels municipality of Anderlecht on Sunday evening. The event involved a woman experiencing a severe mental health crisis and a friend who had arrived at the residence to offer assistance and support. Law enforcement officers responding to emergency calls discovered one woman critically injured inside the home, while the second woman died after jumping from a window.
Emergency Services Respond to Reports of Violent Dispute
Emergency response services were initially dispatched to a house situated on Dichtkunstlaan in Anderlecht at approximately 17:00 CET on Sunday following multiple reports of a severe ongoing dispute. Upon arrival at the scene, law enforcement officers gained entry to the premises and discovered a woman inside suffering from severe and life-threatening injuries.
Simultaneously, responding officers encountered a second woman on the premises who was actively armed with a knife. According to official reports released by authorities, this individual subsequently jumped out of a window of the property. Despite the immediate intervention of emergency medical personnel who attempted life-saving measures at the scene, both women succumbed to their respective injuries.
Eyewitness Account Details Escalation Prior to Police Arrival
An eyewitness and co-resident, identified as Angèle, provided an account of the sequence of events leading up to the arrival of law enforcement. Angèle, who shared the residence with the armed woman, stated that her housemate had been displaying unstable behaviour and experiencing severe distress for several days prior to the event.
According to Angèle, the situation escalated rapidly after she returned to the residence from a local shop. Upon entering the home, she observed a large knife resting on a table, and her housemate subsequently began waving the weapon around in an erratic manner, causing immediate concern for safety.
Following this interaction, the distressed woman isolated herself inside a room within the residence while in possession of several knives. Shortly thereafter, a mutual friend arrived at the property in an attempt to calm the individual and de-escalate the situation through verbal reasoning.
Timeline of Emergency Call and Final Moments inside Property
As the situation within the room intensified, Angèle contacted local police services for urgent assistance. Angèle reported remaining on the line with emergency dispatchers for approximately ten minutes while monitoring the situation. Screams were heard originating from the room where the armed woman and her friend were located prior to the arrival of first responders.
When emergency services reached the street outside the property, attempts were made to reason with the distressed woman from outside the room. Eyewitness accounts indicate that the woman panicked upon the arrival of the police officers, culminating in her jumping from the window of the building.
Public Prosecutor Commences Formal Investigation into Fatalities
The Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed the initiation of a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatalities. A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office stated that preliminary findings indicate the incident involved a person suffering from acute psychiatric issues and a friend who had entered the property specifically to provide support.
Forensic specialists and investigative teams were deployed to the Dichtkunstlaan property to conduct scene examinations, gather physical evidence, and determine the precise cause and timeline of injuries sustained by both victims. Further details regarding the formal identification and autopsy results are expected to be released as the public prosecutor’s investigation proceeds.
