Parents of an 11-year-old boy with severe disabilities who died in Frameries, in the province of Hainaut, on 31 May 2023 are due to appear before the Hainaut Court of Assizes to face murder charges on Monday.
Gilles Viaene and Marjorie Brizard are accused of murdering their son, Esekia Viaene. Born on 10 January 2012, Esekia was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of six months. Unable to walk or speak, the toddler required constant assistance, particularly with feeding.
He was cared for by a specialist centre in Mons and had been monitored by the Youth Welfare Service (SAJ) since October 2019.
On 8 February 2023, the centre ended its cooperation with the parents, citing, among other reasons, their failure to follow the child’s care plan and repeated absences from scheduled appointments without justification.
On 26 April 2023, the SAJ requested that the case be referred to the judicial authorities. Esekia died the day before a hearing scheduled for 1 June.
Delay in calling emergency services
Detectives established the father had sent a video at 13:23 showing the child experiencing breathing difficulties. Nonetheless, emergency services were not contacted until 14:44, more than an hour later.
An autopsy revealed that Esekia was 105 centimetres tall and weighed just 12 kilograms at the time of his death, two kilograms less than in January. His stomach was empty.
A search of the family home also revealed extremely poor hygiene conditions, with no appropriate arrangements in place to meet the needs of the severely disabled child.
Both parents were arrested and remanded in custody on 9 June 2023. They deny having intended to kill their son.
The father has been under electronic monitoring since December 2025, while the mother remains in custody.
The trial will be presided over by Adrien Van der Linden d'Hoogvorst, a judge at the Hainaut Court of Appeal. Pierre Hustin will represent the prosecution, while the defendants will be represented by lawyers Bruno, Brocca, Berger and Pary.
The civil parties include the specialist centre that cared for Esekia between 2015 and February 2023, represented by lawyer Radelet.
