Benjamin P., a 23-year-old Frenchman, is from the Nancy region. He is known to the French police for acts of theft and narcotics.
Members of his family spoke to the press and said they did not understand his gesture. The investigating judge, who placed the suspect under arrest warrant at the end of his hearing, also appointed a psychiatric expert to assess his mental health.
As a reminder, the young man pushed a woman who was a priori unknown to him in the back on Friday around 7:45 p.m. on the rails of the Rogier station while a metro train was approaching. His shoulder was reportedly fractured as a result of the fall, according to press reports.
Alerted by people on the platform, the subway driver carried out an emergency brake. He did not hit the victim. No subway passengers were injured in the sudden stop. Travelers present on the platform then descended on the tracks to remove the victim from the rails. Once it was brought back to the dock, the emergency services were called.
STIB asks the media and people likely to communicate via social media to preserve the privacy of the driver, who was in shock and needs peace of mind. She regrets that her photo and her name have been disseminated via these two channels of communication.
The perpetrator fled running in the opposite direction and crossed the subway tracks. Thanks to the broadcast of images of the suspect, the police were able to arrest him a few minutes later when he was in the De Brouckère metro station.
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