©Winston Tjia via Unsplash
A new case of senseless violence struck Brussels on Sunday.
Driss Atounane, a well-known entrepreneur from the Brussels borough of Evere, died on Sunday after intervening last week when a woman was being harassed on the tram. The 54-year-old Brussels resident stepped in to defend the passenger, but was himself violently attacked and seriously injured in the process.
The incident took place on Thursday, July 23, around 3:30 p.m. near the Linde stop on Helmetsesteenweg in Evere. According to witnesses and the Brussels transit authority MIVB, the woman was subjected to racist and Islamophobic slurs, after which Atounane intervened and called the aggressive passenger to order. The man then turned on him. The attack was particularly violent. The suspect allegedly struck Atounane on the head with a bag containing a heavy object, possibly a hammer or a piece of metal. While the victim was lying on the ground, the attacker continued to kick him and strike him in the head until other passengers and young people intervened and were able to push the man away.
Coma
Atounane was taken to Brugmann Hospital in critical condition, where he fell into a coma. On Sunday morning, he succumbed to his injuries. The Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed the death and announced that the suspect has been arrested and placed under a detention order by the investigating judge. A forensic psychiatrist is still examining the man. His death has caused great sadness and outrage in the area around Liedtsplein and Brabantstraat in Brussels, where Atounane ran several shops and was a familiar face. Business owners and politicians are praising his courage and describing the incident as a tragic illustration of the security problems in the capital.
©Winston Tjia via Unsplash - Illustrative image of a tram in Brussels.