Tragedy in Belgium: Ukrainian teen admits to double murder and arson
The Belgian prosecutor’s office has released initial findings from the investigation into the murder of two Ukrainian nationals — a 46-year-old woman and her 6-year-old daughter — in the town of Haasrode. The 16-year-old son of the victim has confessed to the killings and to setting the apartment on fire.
According to Ukrinform, this information was reported by the Belgian news outlet VRT.
“The son has confessed to stabbing his mother and sister and then setting fire to them,” the Leuven public prosecutor’s office reported.
The report recalls that the fire brigade had received a call yesterday around 9:30 for a fire in an apartment in the rectory in Haasrode. The building is owned by the local churchwardenship, but was rented by the municipality to accommodate refugees from Ukraine.
The mother’s body was found at the scene, while the daughter died shortly after in intensive care. Both victims suffered stab wounds, and a fire safety expert determined the fire was the result of arson. The 16-year-old son was initially at school during the fire. He was first taken into protective custody but later confessed to the double murder.
No motive has yet been disclosed. The teenager will face proceedings in juvenile court.
As previously reported, on June 7, in Haasrode, near Leuven in the Flemish Brabant region of Belgium, two Ukrainian females — a mother and her young daughter — were found dead in a house. Both died from stab wounds, and the residence was deliberately set on fire afterward.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has instructed the Ukrainian Embassy in Belgium to keep the investigation into the deaths of the two Ukrainian citizens under special oversight.
Photo: VRT NWS