Belgian prosecutors have arrested a church sexton and a former priest as part of a judicial investigation into a suspected murder and child sexual abuse dating back to the early 2000s.
According to Nieuwsblad, the Antwerp public prosecutor's office confirmed that a 60-year-old man from Kalmthout, a city near Antwerp, was arrested last Friday after police received a report from a woman claiming to have information about a historic murder and acts of paedophilia.
According to prosecutors, the man, identified as a local church sexton, appeared before an investigating judge on Sunday and was remanded in custody on suspicion of murder and the rape of a minor under the age of 16.
He is due to appear before the council chamber on Friday, which will decide whether he remains in detention.
"The man's exact role in the alleged offences is still being fully investigated," said prosecutor's office spokesperson Kato Belmans to Nieuwsblad. A psychiatrist has also been appointed to assess the suspect's mental state.
The suspect's lawyer said her client denies any involvement in the alleged crimes and declined to comment further while the investigation is ongoing.
As part of the same case, police carried out two house searches on Tuesday morning near Kalmthout and arrested a 64-year-old former priest.
The man was previously convicted in 2009 and sentenced by the Antwerp Court of Appeal to nine years in prison for possession of child abuse material and the sexual abuse of three minors.
He has since been released on bail and will be questioned by investigators. Prosecutors said a decision will then be taken on whether there is sufficient evidence to bring him before an investigating judge.
A third man, a 92-year-old priest from the region, was also questioned by police on Tuesday but has since been released. He denied any involvement and described the allegations as "extremely reprehensible".
The prosecutor's office said the investigation remains at an early stage, with detectives still examining whether any unexplained disappearance was reported during the period in question.
The inquiry is being led by the Federal Judicial Police Antwerp under the supervision of an investigating judge.
