The trial of Jean-François G., a biochemical engineer in his thirties, accused of attempted murder of one of his best friends, will begin this Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at 9 a.m. before the Brussels criminal court. The man is suspected of having poisoned the victim with thallium in 2021. This poison slowly and irreversibly deteriorates vital functions.
The health of the victim, a man from Ucclois in his thirties, began to deteriorate in August 2021, RTBF reported at the end of February. The young man, who was then finishing his studies, was then hospitalized, his condition increasingly deteriorating. It was not until May 2022 that doctors diagnosed thallium poisoning and a tube of body cream, infested with this deadly poison, was found among the patient’s personal belongings. Thallium is a metal that resembles lead and is used in particular for the manufacture of thermometers.
High social environment
Faced with what appeared to be poisoning through the intervention of a third party, the hospital contacted the police and an investigation began. She quickly led to one of the victim’s best friends, a biochemical engineer of the same age as the victim, living in Woluwe, from a high social background like her.
Investigators discovered that he had ordered a large quantity of thallium via the Web, and analysis of his computer showed that he had carried out research on Novichok, the nerve agent that allegedly poisoned the opponent. Russian Alexei Navalny.
On June 17, 2022, Jean-François G. was charged with attempted murder and placed under an arrest warrant, before being detained under the modality of an electronic bracelet. On March 19, he was released following a procedural error.
An old family chalet
He denies any involvement in this affair, claiming to have bought the thallium to exterminate rats in an old family chalet. Psychiatric assessments did not reveal any perverse or sadistic character traits.
As for the victim, he or she still suffers from the devastating and irreversible effects of thallium, which causes degeneration of the nervous system. His state of health is critical.
Finally, the motive for the crime remains unclear. The two young men from the upper bourgeoisie, both of French nationality and sons of high-ranking officers in the army, had known each other on the benches of the Lycée français de Bruxelles, in Uccle. They were almost inseparable since then, regularly going on winter sports holidays together and playing tennis at the same club.
