The man convicted of the murder of a 2-year-old girl and her nanny in Antwerp in 2006 has been allowed to leave prison, albeit briefly, for the first time. Hans Van Themsche has been in custody since 2006. Friday’s edition of the daily ‘Het Nieuwsblad’ reports that Van Themsche, who was 18 years old when he committed the murders and is now 36, was allowed out of prison briefly last week in order to attend an intake interview for a psychiatric institution.
Hans Van Themsche allowed to leave prision briefly for the first time since his conviction for the murder of a 2-year-old girl and her nanny
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The news contained in the newspaper report has been confirmed by VRT News sources. Hans Van Themsche is currently being held at Oudenaarde Prison in East Flanders.
In 2006 and the then 18-year-old Hans Van Themsche shot dead 2-year-old Luna Drowart her nanny Oulematou Niangadou in the centre of Antwerp. Now 36, Hans Van Themsche has spent the past 18 years in custody. Last week for the first time since his arrest he was given leave from Oudenaarde Prison to attend an intake interview to evaluate whether he can be admitted to a psychiatric institution.
Who is Hans Van Themsche?
On 11 May 2006, the then 18-year-old Hans Van Themsche murdered 2-year-old Luna and her Malian nanny Oulematou. Before murdering Luna and Oulematou Hans Van Themsche had has shot a 46-year-old Turkish woman that was wearing a headscarf. The Turkish woman survived the attack. Hans Van Themsche became the first Belgian ever to be convicted of racially motivated murder. In recent years he has asked several times to either be released with an electronic tag or to be admitted to a psychiatric institution.
Last week for the first time a court granted him leave from prison in order to attend an intake interview. Admission to a psychiatric institution is a step towards reintegration into society.
At the beginning of the year, Laurence van Brée, who is the mother of the toddler that was murdered by Hans Van Themsche said that she would not resist his early release or admission to a psychiatric institution.