Galip Kurum, the last of the three-man convicted of the murder of the Flemish Brabant policewoman Kitty Van Nieuwenhuysen that was still in prison has been released. Kitty Van Nieuwenhuysen was murdered while on duty in the village of Lot, in the municipality of Beersel, just south of Brussels.
Last of the three men convicted of murdering Flemish Brabant policewoman released from jail
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The news that Galip Kurum has been released on parole was confirmed by the Brussels public prosecutor’s office on Wednesday, after the news had first appeared in the daily ‘Het Nieuwsblad’. Previously the two other men that had been sentenced to 30 year’s imprisonment in 2011 for the police officer’s murder were also granted parole. Noureddine Cheikhni was released in June 2019 and Hassan Iasir in December 2021.
Like the other two men involved in Kitty Van Nieuwenhuysen’s murder Galip Kurum will have to compensate her family, with whom he may not seek contact. He has been banned from 10 municipalities including Beersel, Leuven (both Flemish Brabant) and Brussels.
On the night of 3 December 2007, a home-jacking was committed at the home of the Sacoor family in the village of Lot (Flemish Brabant). Noureddine Cheikhni, Galip Kurum and Hassan Iasir shot the father of the family, Ismael Sacoor. They also opened fire on a police van that was patrolling the street looking for them.
23-year-old Kitty Van Nieuwenhuysen was inside the police van and was shot in the head and killed. Her colleague was wounded in the leg. The criminals fled, before finally being arrested a month and a half later, on 19 January 2008. The three men were sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment by the Brussels Court of Assizes in 2011.