Double infanticide in Belgium: father kills girls aged 5 and 8

In Waardamme (Oostkamp) in West Flanders, a father killed his children aged 5 and 8 on Wednesday evening. He has since been arrested.

Jasper De Spiegeleer, Tim Lescrauwaet, Mathias Marien

17-11-22, 09:05

Latest update:
10:27

The family drama took place on a farm in the Sijslostraat in the borough of Waardamme. The father was arrested in the area after a short search. He was briefly without a trace and tried to take his own life, but failed. The police also raided the steel company where the man worked. Relationship problems are said to be the cause of the drama.

The victims are two girls. Their mother had been living separately from the arrested father for several months. The farm in the Sijslostraat mainly specialized in potatoes. The couple had also opened a guest house for 12 people in 2021, with six bedrooms.

Community hit hard

At the primary school where the girls attended, the news hit hard. All students receive the necessary support from the police, among others. Mayor Jan de Keyser is also affected: “I cannot and may not communicate about the facts as such, but I can already say that our local community has been hit very hard.”

Read more below the photo: loss hits hard

The Public Prosecution Service of West Flanders is investigating. © Mathias Marien

The loss of the young girls comes ‘very hard’, according to the mayor: ,,This night I spoke to the mother and family and wished her a lot of strength and courage in these very exceptionally sad circumstances. In the meantime I was at the school where the management and teaching staff are of course upset, but I also saw their motivation to properly guide the children in this grieving process.”

Bodies found

The Public Prosecution Service of West Flanders can confirm that the lifeless bodies of two children aged 5 and 8 were found in Oostkamp on Wednesday evening. The children’s father was later found and arrested.

The double murder of children is being investigated under the supervision of the examining magistrate. In the interest of the investigation, there will be no further communication about the case at this time. The victim support service has also been called in to receive the girls’ classmates and teachers.