Two girls aged five and eight killed in Belgium

Two girls aged five and eight were killed in the Belgian municipality of Oostkamp on Wednesday night, Belga was told by reliable sources and the Bruges department of the West Flanders public prosecutor's office confirmed. The father of the victims was arrested.

The events took place Wednesday evening after 8 pm in Sijslostraat in Waardamme, a borough of Oostkamp. Two girls aged five and eight were killed in a farmhouse. The exact circumstances are still unclear. The Bruges Department of Public Prosecution in West Flanders has demanded a judicial enquiry led by an investigating judge. "In the interest of the investigation, no additional communication will be carried out at the moment," the department states.

The suspected perpetrator is the father of the victims. The man in his thirties was arrested after a search in the area. His interrogation will have to shed more light on the motive, but a difficult divorce may have been at the root of the events. His relationship with the daughters' mother reportedly ended a few months ago. 

Mayor of Oostkamp Jan De Keyser (CD&V, Flemish Christian Democrats) cannot comment on the facts but stresses that the local community has been hit very hard. "The loss of two young children, and even more so how it happened, is hitting very hard. Last night I spoke to the mum and family and wished her a lot of strength and courage in these very exceptional sad circumstances." The mayor also visited the victims' school, where their classmates are being counselled during the grieving process.

^{#FlandersNewsService | Police officers near the farmhouse in Oostkamp, Belgium, where two girls aged five and eight were killed on the night of 18 November 2022 © BELGA PHOTO KURT DESPLENTER}