A 90-year-old man that stabbed 3 other residents of a residential care home in the West Flemish municipality of Dentergem on early on Friday morning murdered his wife in 2021. 2 of the 3 victims in Friday morning’s incident died of their injuries, a 3rd victim is in a critical condition in hospital. VRT News learned that the man had murdered his wife from a reliable source and this has since been confirmed by the prosecutor’s office.
90-year-old Man that stabbed 3 other residents of a West Flemish residential care home murdered his wife in 2021
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2 men aged 97 and 93 were killed and a 94-year-old woman in a critical condition in hospital after they were stabbed by a 90-year-old fellow resident of the care home where they lived in Dentergem, West Flanders.
The man that stabbed them had killed in the past. In 2021 he used a hammer to murder his wife during a blazing row at their home in Oostrozebeke (West Flanders). Both were then 87 years old. The couple reportedly lived a reclusive life in their village in the village of De Ginste.
But why was he in a care home and not in prison?
At the end of last year, it was decided that he would not be tried as he was in the early stages of dementia. Instead, it was decided that he should be sent to a secure psychiatric institution.
When this decision was made the man was already a resident at the care home. It is not clear if he had been allowed to remain there providing that certain conditions were observed or if he was there awaiting a place in a specialised institution. What is known is that he has a probation officer.
VRT News' legal affairs editor Philip Heymans says that "It could be the case that he was in the residential care home awaiting a place in a specialised institution. It has long been an issue that are only a limited number of places available for the criminally insane in Belgium. It could also be the case that he was judged not to be so dangerous and that is why he was still there”.
The residential care home in Dentergem doesn’t offer specialised care for people with psychiatric issues or dementia. This begs the question of why the man was (still) there.
The man was taken away by the police and will be questioned later.