© Miguel Ausejo via Unsplash
A 45-year-old cleaning woman is being prosecuted in Belgium for setting six fires at the AZ Ostend in August 2025. Her case was heard before the criminal court in Bruges on Tuesday.
On August 4 2025, the fire department had to extinguish a fire when a cleaning cart caught fire in a hospital. The fire was quickly brought under control, but 27,000 euros worth of damage was caused.
A few days later, there was another fire at the hospital: firefighters then found five blazes in different areas of the hospital, including burning garbage cans, bedding and cleaning cart. According to the prosecutor's office, damage was limited, but the situation could have easily escalated.
The woman was arrested while wandering through the hospital under the influence of alcohol, carrying lighters. Although she remembers nothing due to blackouts, witnesses and data from her badge link her to the fires. A polygraph test showed that the woman was not lying about her amnesia.
According to the defense, she struggled with alcohol addiction, debt and personal problems, but had no motive. She does not dispute the facts and says she wants to take responsibility. The prosecution demands three years in prison, possibly suspended. The verdict will follow on June 24, Het Nieuwsblad reports.
Illustration picture: © Miguel Ausejo via Unsplash