Son of murdered couple arrested

19 June 2007

BRUSSELS – The son of the family found murdered in the textile shop on the Kapucijnenstraat in Brussels on Sunday was arrested on Monday by investigating magistrate Berta Bernardo-Mendez on suspicion of murdering his parents and sister. The public prosecution department in Brussels has announced this.

The 19-year-old man told detectives that he had travelled to the coast on Sunday to study, but his story seemed confused. The detectives questioned the man about where he had been at certain times over the weekend but his responses did not lead to any more clarity.

The investigating magistrate felt there was enough reason to arrest the man. The police do not think that the family was murdered as part of a robbery since nothing seems to have been taken from the shop. Nor are there any signs of a break in. The investigators believe the murderer knew the area and the layout of the shop well.

The body of 48-year-old Caroline Van Oost was found by customers at about 1 pm on Sunday. The woman lay in the office where the bookkeeping records were kept. Emergency services later found the lifeless bodies of her husband, shop owner, 48-year-old François-Xavier Storme, and the couple’s daughter.

The victims had stab wounds to the head and chest. Autopsies will be carried out on Tuesday. This might ascertain the time of death. Investigators still have no idea what the motive for the murder may have been.

Subject: Belgian news