Belgian news in brief, 11 October 2005

Maximum rise in Belgian train tickets

Belgian rail NMBS-SNCB decided on Tuesday to increase ticket prices by 3.85 percent, effective from 1 February. It is the maximum price rise allowed under government regulations. Price rises are linked to inflation. Normal tickets will rise by 4.25 percent, train tickets by 3.49 percent.

20 years jail for cop killer

Brussels Court sentenced Mohamed Hammani on Monday to 20 years jail for a series of violent car jackings and grievous bodily harm, resulting in the death of a policeman. Policeman Marc Munten was killed by Kalashnikov machine gun fire from a car on 21 April 2001. He was in pursuit of Hammani at the time. Co-accused Rachid El Ouakile and Abderrahman Ben Masaoud were sentenced to 25 and 15 years in jail, respectively

Girl, 13, suspected of killing baby

A 13-year-old girl has been accused of deliberately dropping her newborn baby from the 13th floor of an apartment building in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek on Monday. The girl became pregnant six months ago to her 17-year-old boyfriend. Because she wanted to keep the baby and did not want an abortion, her boyfriend abandoned her. The girl kept her pregnancy secret from friends and family and gave birth on Sunday night. She has since been accused of dropping the baby boy from the apartment balcony. The boy died of injuries and authorities have launched an investigation.

Subject: Belgian news