Dutch woman arrested after foiled attack at Miss Belgium pageant

The man arrested on Saturday at the Miss Belgium pageant in De Panne in the province of West Flanders was accompanied by a Dutch woman. She was also arrested and has since been interrogated.

The 46-year-old Peter C. from Lommel probably wanted to commit an attack during the Miss Belgium pageant. The pageant took place later that evening at Plopsaland in De Panne. "It is completely unclear whether the woman knew about the plans," a spokesperson for the federal prosecutor's office said. "She is not the man's wife or his steady girlfriend, but a friend.”

The police arrested the 46-year-old on Saturday around 5.30 pm in the parking lot of the Plopsaland amusement park in De Panne. He was in possession of a handgun at the time. Furthermore, another firearm as well as a bulletproof vest were found in his car, RTL Nieuws reported.

The hall was released again around 9:30 p.m. and the election of the Miss Belgium pageant could continue.

The man was not known to the police or the security services. Nothing is known yet about a possible motive. However, the man allegedly has psychological problems, according to Belgian VRT sources. The investigating judge will decide later today whether the two will be detained longer, said a spokesperson.