A 25-year-old woman has been sent to trial at the assizes for infanticide and culpable negligence.
Claudia D. C. continues to deny killing her newborn two years ago. On 3 January 2023, the child’s body was discovered in a social housing unit in Bruges. She was arrested shortly after and charged. Claudia D. C. insisted that her child was stillborn.
Initial autopsy results indicated the baby girl was born alive and full-term. The mother has denied any violence towards her child. She initially claimed she was unaware of her pregnancy but later admitted she knew. The exact circumstances of the baby’s death remain unclear despite the reenactment.
After the investigation, the Bruges section of the West Flanders public prosecutor’s office decided to indict the young woman for trial. The defence opposed this decision. However, a few weeks ago, the indictment chamber in Ghent ordered she be sent to trial in West Flanders. The trial is not expected to commence until the end of 2025. In the meantime, Claudia D. C. remains in custody.
