Brussels hotel kidnapping ends peacefully

20 March 2006

BRUSSELS — A man who had held his two-year-old daughter hostage in a Brussels hotel since Saturday surrendered to police on Sunday.

The girl underwent a medical examination after her release, but was unharmed throughout the drama.

Police said the man had initially threatened to detonate explosives, but no explosives were found in the hotel.

The man was identified on Monday as a 55-year-old Australian expat who has lived in Belgium for six years.

Public prosecution authorities said he had taken his child hostage to demand medical attention for her heart problem.

The kidnapping started at about 2pm in a room on the 16th floor of the Tulip Inn hotel on Rogiers Square in Brussels city centre and ended 20 hours later.

The hotel and two adjoining premises had been evacuated out of precaution on Saturday night.

Subject: Belgian news