On 24 June 1984, Cudell was kidnapped in nearby Ixelles by René Busschot. Busschot kept him captive in Tellin, Luxembourg Province. Cudell was able to break out of his handcuffs and escape the empty house through an open door. An envelope left at the house identified Busschot, who handed himself in on 26 June and was sentenced in 1988 to a suspended sentence of three years. Cudell's account of the events has been doubted by some in Belgium, who allege that he had orchestrated the event.[1][3]