BRUSSELS – The switchblade which father of murdered Joe Van Holsbeeck handed in to the authorities on Tuesday is not the weapon used to kill the boy at Brussels Central Station on 6 April 2006.  Glenn Audenaert, director of the federal police, announced this on Wednesday.

The knife was found by a Sint-Gillis man a few hundred metres from the home of one of the suspects seven days after the incident. The man recently handed the knife over to the victim’s father after fruitless attempts to have the weapon examined as evidence. Joe’s father in turn handed it over to police on Tuesday.

Police have examined the knife, but the detectives say it is not the weapon used in the stabbing at the Central Station. The knife found does not match the descriptions given by suspects and witnesses, nor does it fit in with the conclusions reached by the police and the forensic expert.

The investigating magistrate in charge of the case decided not to order a scientific examination of the knife based on the statements from police and forensic experts in the case file. There were no traces of blood visible on the knife, and it was found seven days after the incident, which makes it not very suitable for a DNA test.

If the judge charged with the case requests it, the knife could be subjected to scientific analysis at a later date, says Glenn Audenaert.

[Copyright Expatica News 2007]

Subject: Belgian news