In Belgium, a 16-year-old Ukrainian is suspected of killing his mother and sister in the town of Haasrode, Belgian media, in particular VRT and De Standaard, report, citing the prosecutor’s office of the neighbouring city of Leuven.
According to the report, the boy confessed to the murder to police during an interrogation that lasted several hours.
The woman and the girl were found on 6 June after a fire in the house where they lived. When the fire was put out, rescuers found the body of the 46-year-old woman. They also found a 6-year-old girl who was alive at the time, she could not be saved. Both victims were found to have stab wounds, according to investigators, in addition, law enforcers determined that the fire was set intentionally.
The family’s 16-year-old son was in school at the time of the fire.
The motives for the murder are still unknown.
The Foreign Ministry said on 7 June that Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga had instructed the Ukrainian embassy in Belgium to keep the case under special control.
The woman and her son and daughter fled Ukraine in 2022 due to Russia’s full-scale invasion, Belgian media wrote. According to the report, the father stayed behind to fight in Ukraine against Russian troops.