What do police still need to know about the Tournai attempted murder?
Belgian Federal Police have appealed for witnesses to a knife attack classified as attempted murder near Tournai’s belfry on 31 July, after investigators identified and arrested the suspect but said the precise circumstances remain unclear.
Witness accounts may clarify what happened before and during a serious knife attack in Tournai’s city centre. The appeal also gives residents, nightlife workers and visitors a direct, official route for sharing first-hand information.
are asking witnesses to help reconstruct a knife attack classified as attempted murder that took place at about 02:00 on Friday 31 July at the foot of , on the . The appeal, issued on 18 August at the request of an investigating judge in , says the suspect has been identified and arrested and that a second man seen with him has also been identified. Police have not disclosed the victim’s condition, a suspected motive or the judicial status of either man.
The appeal matters most immediately to people who were in central that night. Investigators are particularly seeking two young women who spoke to the suspect and the second man outside the Highlander café on , as well as anyone who encountered the pair there or witnessed the later attack near the belfry. Information can be submitted through the Federal Police witness form or by calling the free Belgian number 0800 30 300; witnesses outside Belgium can use +32 2 554 44 88.
According to the Federal Police description, the suspect had spent part of the evening on before the stabbing. He was wearing a black T-shirt, green-grey shorts, black trainers and black-framed glasses. The second man wore a black T-shirt, dark jeans, a black cap and black-and-white Nike trainers, and was travelling by bicycle. These descriptions relate to how the men appeared on 31 July; the police are no longer trying to establish their identities.
That distinction is important. The public appeal is not a manhunt but an attempt to close gaps in the sequence of events between and the . The Federal Police say information submitted online is passed to the federal judicial police’s operational service and then to the lead investigator, who may contact a witness for clarification. Belgium’s likewise explains that someone who has seen an offence may be asked to give evidence to police, an investigating judge or, later, a court.
The geographic setting makes the request unusually focused. and the form part of ’s central nightlife area, while the belfry is one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks. Investigators are therefore looking for people who may have regarded an encounter, conversation or movement between the two squares as unremarkable at the time. Even a witness who did not see the stabbing may be able to help establish the chronology.
There are also limits to what the appeal establishes. Police use the legal classification “attempted murder”, but the published notice does not set out the evidence supporting that classification, identify the victim or allege that the second man participated in the violence. No court finding has been announced. Belgian and EU due-process standards require suspects to be treated as innocent until guilt is established, so arrest and identification should not be presented as a conviction.
The case is Belgian and local rather than international: it falls within , with the investigation directed from and the public appeal distributed through the national Federal Police platform. There is no stated EU institutional or cross-border dimension. The foreign contact number is a standard way for people outside Belgium to reach investigators, potentially useful in a tourist city close to France, but it does not by itself indicate an international investigation.
For residents, hospitality workers and visitors, the practical message is simple: investigators want first-hand observations, not speculation or online identification. The next meaningful development could be confirmation that key witnesses have come forward, a prosecutorial update on the suspect’s status, or a later decision on whether the evidence supports referral to trial. Until authorities provide such an update, the motive, the victim’s medical condition and the exact roles of those present remain unknown.
Impact
Regional — The case concerns Tournai in Wallonia’s province of Hainaut and may particularly affect people who live, work or socialise around Place Saint-Pierre and the Grand-Place.
Local — The appeal is tightly focused on central Tournai, including Place Saint-Pierre, the Grand-Place, the Highlander café and the belfry area. People who lived, worked, travelled or socialised there during the early hours of 31 July may hold relevant information even if they did not see the knife attack itself. Nightlife workers, café customers, residents and visitors may be able to help investigators reconstruct the movements of the identified men and the sequence immediately before the incident.
What it means for you
If you were around Place Saint-Pierre, the Highlander café, the Grand-Place or Tournai’s belfry at about 02:00 on 31 July 2026, consider whether you saw the two identified men, the attack or events leading up to it. Investigators are specifically seeking two young women seen outside the Highlander café, as well as other witnesses. Information can be submitted through the official Federal Police response form or reported by calling 0800 30 300 from Belgium or +32 2 554 44 88 from abroad.
Opposing perspectives
- Federal Police and the investigating judge
The investigative perspective treats public participation as necessary because identifying the two men did not establish the full sequence of events. The appeal focuses on the two women outside the Highlander café, other contacts on Place Saint-Pierre and direct witnesses near the belfry.
- Belgian and EU due-process framework
The procedural perspective requires restraint: an arrest and the police classification of attempted murder do not establish guilt. The evidence must be tested through Belgium’s judicial process, and the published appeal does not allege that the identified second man took part in the attack.
Who, where and what
Key people, places and terms in this story
Hainaut city where the knife attack occurred and the witness search is focused.
Tournai square where witnesses may have seen the attack.
Location of the investigating judge who requested the Federal Police appeal.
Walloon province containing Tournai and Mons.
Belgian region in which Tournai and the investigation’s local impact are situated.
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Hainaut city where the knife attack occurred and the witness search is focused.
Tournai square where witnesses may have seen the attack.
Location of the investigating judge who requested the Federal Police appeal.
Walloon province containing Tournai and Mons.
Belgian region in which Tournai and the investigation’s local impact are situated.
Landmark near the reported location of the knife attack.
City-centre location where investigators want information about encounters with the identified men.
Café outside which two young women sought by investigators were seen.
Investigation into the knife attack committed near Tournai’s belfry on 31 July 2026.
Public request issued on 18 August 2026 for information clarifying the attack’s circumstances.
Published the witness appeal and receives information from potential witnesses.
Provides official guidance about witnesses and the course of Belgian criminal proceedings.
News outlet reporting on the Federal Police witness appeal.
Sources & evidence
- View sourceBelgian Federal Police — Tentative de meurtre à Tournai: recherche de témoinsPrimaryofficial· police.be· 18 August 2026Retrieved 27 August 2026· 45 days ago· Dated
- View sourceLa DH/Les Sports+ — Tentative de meurtre à Tournai: la police lance un appel à témoinscorroborating· dhnet.be· 18 August 2026Retrieved 27 August 2026· 45 days ago· Dated
- View sourceBelgian Federal Police — Witness-response form and handling procedureofficial· police.beRetrieved 27 August 2026
- View sourceFederal Public Service Justice — Guidance for witnessesofficial· justice.belgium.beRetrieved 27 August 2026
Related topics
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This briefing was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by a Belgium Impulse editor before publication. methodology.