The body that was found in the water of the Houtdok in Ghent on Thursday belongs to a 9-year-old boy. This is confirmed by the federal prosecutor’s office in East Flanders.
The mother has been arrested and her boyfriend at the time is on the run. The boy probably died early this year after being badly beaten.
The boy had been missing since early this year. The child’s body was found yesterday by a passer-by, close to where the victim lived with his mother and sister.
Intercepted SMS
The mother, together with her then boyfriend, came into the picture as a suspect after a text message from her ended up with an uncle who lives in Germany, writes the Belgian newspaper De Morgen. The uncle then informed the police.
The victim died due to abuse by the then boyfriend, the newspaper reports. He would have abused the boy more often. After the death of the boy, the man would have dumped the body together with the mother in a sports bag with stones in the Houtdok in Ghent.
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