Armed with a pistol and two hand grenades, a man stormed the Spatzennascht crèche in Wasserbillig, taking 45 children and seven educators hostage.
On 31 May 2000, the quiet riverside town of Wasserbillig suddenly became the centre of global media attention. A man had entered the building, making demands for a Cargolux plane to take him to Libya and one million francs.
Parents of the children were called to the nearby cultural centre, where they were accompanied by psychologists. No one knew how long the hostage taking would last. Meanwhile, CNN and BBC news trucks pulled up outside, as well as 50 ambulances – one for every child, should the worst come to happen.
The kidnapper was Neji Bejaoui, a troubled and abusive man who saw his family fall apart. After losing custody of his children in a divorce and failing to pay their crèche fees, he wanted revenge. When he sought live airtime on TV, police saw an opportunity to prepare a possible intervention.
Listen to episode 1 of the new season of DNA: Luxembourg Crime Podcast:
