The parents of the five-month-old baby who died in mid-October in a social apartment block in Ghent have been allowed to leave prison. “I hope that the human side of this tragic event will now be dealt with more carefully,” says the father’s lawyer.
Two months after five-month-old baby D. died in a social apartment block on Leiekaai in Ghent, there are still many questions surrounding the girl’s death. The parents have been in custody since then, but on Thursday the Indictment Chamber decided that they can leave prison.
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“I am relieved that my client will finally have the opportunity to begin processing the loss of his daughter,” said attorney Raan Colman. “It is an indescribably heavy loss and it is important that he can do this in freedom, surrounded by his loved ones.
Uncertainty
The child died on October 12. Her parents fed her that night and put her to sleep. They suddenly discovered that they were no longer breathing. The dad tried to resuscitate her, but there was no help anymore.
-The public prosecutor’s office started an investigation and the investigating judge arrested the parents on suspicion of accidental assault and battery resulting in death, but without the intention to kill. What happened that evening and what caused the baby’s death is still unclear two months later. The court therefore still takes natural death into account, such as cot death.
Human side
The council chamber decided twice to release the parents under conditions, but each time the public prosecutor’s office appealed. This is to the incomprehension of the parents’ lawyers. The father’s lawyer is now awaiting the further course of the investigation, but is critical of what has happened in the past two months.
“You can keep someone in custody for two months without the exact cause of death being determined,” says lawyer Colman. “This raises serious questions for me about the justice and proportionality of an arrest mandate, especially given the fact that there is no intent or malice on the part of my client. I hope that the human side of this tragic event will now be dealt with more carefully.”
