Police find farewell letters after family tragedy

2 February 2006

BRUSSELS — Police have found two farewell letters written by the man who killed himself, his former wife and their three children in the Flemish town of Temse on Thursday.

The man locked himself and his four victims in a bedroom of the family home and set two charcoal barbeques alight. An autopsy has revealed the family died from CO poisoning.

The 38-year-old Christian W. sealed off the windows and doors of the bedroom and the smoke from the barbeques caused the five deaths.

The victims have been identified as Priscilla C., 47, sons Christopher, 14, and Randy, 12, and their daughter Yakina, 7.

Police have since found a farewell letter in the house. A letter was also found in the man’s home in the nearby city of Sint-Niklaaas.

The reason for the murder-suicide is the divorce and arguments over the fact the man was no longer allowed to see his children.

The family’s problems were known to police, who visited the family home on Thursday at the request of family services.

Officers gained entry to the house via the back door and found the five bodies at about 2pm.

A public prosecution spokesman said the man and woman had recently come back into contact with each other because the man had wanted to see his children.

“However, at the start of this year, he appeared before a judge because of a complaint of indecent assault that dated back to 2002,” spokesman Theo Bryl said.

It was reported earlier on Thursday that the man was accused of sexually abusing his daughter at the age of four.

However, the man was released on bail from remand detention after his January court appearance because he no longer lived with the children.

Subject: Belgian news