Belgian police mistake plastic mannequin for body

By Nur Asena Erturk

Police in Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia mistook a mannequin for a corpse, media reports said Wednesday.

Residents in the eastern highland of High Fens (Hautes Fagnes) notified police Tuesday of a body under branches and bushes, whose foot was visible under a blanket, according to the Brussels Times newspaper.

Police set up a security perimeter, labeled the area as a crime scene, and waited for the coroner to examine the body.

The coroner discovered it was not a human but a plastic mannequin, leading to a funny ambiance among officials.

City of Verviers prosecutor Gilles de Villers Grand Champ told reporters that officials thought they were dealing with a homicide.