AntwerpThe police found a man last week in a cellar in the Provinciestraat. It turned out that he had been living there for several months in degrading conditions. That writes Gazet van Antwerpen. In his own words, the man paid rent, but the landlord denies this.
The police received a report last week from a resident of the Provinciestraat. The officers arrived on the scene for a check in the building next to a snack bar, near the Turnhoutsebaan. In the common basement room they found a man who lived there. He lived there without facilities such as water, sanitary facilities or cooking elements. He lay on a mattress among the garbage and his own excrement.
According to the man, he paid rent to the landlord, but he denies this. “We are aware of the situation and are trying to map it out,” says Wouter Bruyns of the Antwerp police zone. The owner of the building had the combustible items removed from the basement and fitted the front door with a lock. The resident told police that he wanted to continue living in the basement. “We have informed him that he can go to night shelter De Biekorf,” said Bruyns.
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“We would like to call on you to always report this to the police if you suspect slum farms. We notice that victims have a low willingness to report crimes, often because they reside here illegally or find themselves in more difficult situations. But every case of slum landlords is one too many,” says Lauranne Van Dongen, spokesperson for Mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA).
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