German arrested for killing family

26 October 2007

BRUSSELS (AFP) – Belgian police on Thursday arrested a German man in his 50s on suspicion of killing his wife and their two teenage children and then setting their family home alight, an official said.

Emergency services were alerted to the tragedy by the fire which broke out in the afternoon at the isolated house in Hombourg, near the German border.

According to local public prosecutor Christine Wilwert once the fire was put out forensic experts could enter the house.

According to the first investigations it appears that the mother and her son and daughter were murdered but it was impossible to say exactly how the three were killed.

The family was described be neighbours as “calm” and “discreet” and not well integrated with the local community, although they had lived there for 20 years.

Both parents, identified as Bruno W. and Irina, worked in Germany. The children, 19-year-old Helena and her 17-year-old brother Valentin both attended school in Germany.

The suspect was “intercepted” by police and was to appear later Thursday in a local court, along with a translator as he only speaks German.

Subject: Belgian news