On Saturday, September 16, 1989, heavily armed French gangsters penetrated the villa of a bank director in Tilff (Belgium).
The banker, his wife and their two daughters were in the house.
The objective of the three criminals was to take the director by force to the bank and make him empty the vaults.
The gangsters didn’t know that the bank’s security department automatically notifies the police if the safes are opened during the weekend.
The gangsters changed their minds and decided to stay in the house until Monday. Thus began the longest hostage situation. On Sunday, the bank director took advantage of the noise of a passing train to escape through the window. His wife and two daughters were still being held captive inside the house.
A long and complicated negotiation then started between the police and the gangsters.