On Friday, after nearly three hours of deliberation, the Antwerp Assize Court handed Peter Van Heucke (47) a life sentence.
The court considers Van Heucke to be a dangerous man. He will only be eligible for parole after 25 years and in the event he is released, he will remain under the supervision of the sentence enforcement court for 15 years.
In the early morning of 25 June 2022, Peter Van Heucke broke into the home of his ex-girlfriend Cindy B. (47) on Rodenbachstraat in Merksplas. He killed her son Jarne (19) with a samurai sword and a knife and also injured her daughter Shannon (25) and her new partner Geert (53), now Greet.
Van Heucke held Cindy hostage in the attic for hours before surrendering to the special units. Five weeks earlier, he had also raped Cindy.
The man in his forties could not accept that she had ended their relationship and that she had started a relationship with Greet.
Van Heucke was convicted of murder, two attempted murders, unlawful imprisonment and rape.
In determining the sentence, the particular seriousness of the offences was taken into account.
"Jarne was the victim of brutal and ruthless violence. His death caused irreparable suffering to his relatives. He also tried to kill Shannon and Greet, who survived by pure luck. The rape and imprisonment of Cindy also shows a lack of respect for her physical and sexual integrity," read Vincent Roelants, president of the Assize Court, from the judgment.
