A Romanian who was the stepfather of the murdered nine-year-old, Raul, was arrested in the Netherlands. Dutch prosecutors handed him over to Belgian police earlier this week and he is now in the custody of the investigating judge in Ghent.
On Thursday 13 April, Raul's body was found in a sports bag in the Ghent harbour dock. The body was reportedly dumped in the water at the end of January but his disappearance only came to light after relatives living in Germany raised the alarm, noting that the boy hadn't been included in video calls for weeks.
Last week, Raul's mother Yoana M. (34) was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, assault and battery and body disposal, among other things.
Her ex-boyfriend, 34-year-old Romanian Nicu C., was arrested on Friday 14 April in Bakel in the Netherlands. He is suspected of involvement in Raul's death. The man agreed to the extradition procedure in the Council Chamber of the Amsterdam Court. His return to Belgium took place on Tuesday morning.
Stepfather denies involvement
In Belgium, Nico C. was questioned by the police for hours and appeared before the Ghent investigating judge on Wednesday. The East Flanders public prosecutor's office confirmed the man's arrest but will not provide details about the charges, De Standaard reports.
The boy's stepfather reportedly abused him for months, including beating him with a belt and pouring ice-cold or scalding hot water over him. His abuse – which largely went unnoticed as the family was not registered in Belgium, making it harder for child social services to gain insight into the situation – eventually ended his life.
But the man insists he had nothing to do with the boy's death.
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"My client has appeared before the investigating judge, who has decided to detain him for longer. He will appear before the council chamber on Friday, which will decide on his continued custody," the man's lawyer, Sven Staelens, told De Morgen.
"He is in serious shock. I cannot say anything about what he said but he made very extensive statements and is cooperating with the investigation. He is also not afraid to be confronted with the mother, which is in line with expectations in the investigation."
