Assize trial in Waardamme child murder: Chris V. explains motive behind deaths of Maud and Ona
Chris V. (48) told the assize court how he killed his daughters Maud (8) and Ona (5) in November 2022. According to his account, he acted out of love, anger and revenge.
Accused explains how he suffocated his two daughters in November 2022
The questioning of Chris V. (48) before the assize court has concluded. According to focus-wtv.be, the accused stated that he suffocated his daughters Maud (8) and Ona (5) in November 2022, and that he acted out of love, anger and revenge. "All the misery had to stop. I was going to lose everything," he told the court.
V. described how he proceeded that Wednesday afternoon. "I put cable ties on her hands and put a bag over her head and also put cable ties on it. Then I went downstairs and did the same thing with Ona." Later he admitted that he also gagged his children with tights – a detail he initially withheld.
Judge Willem De Pauw confronted him with the question of whether Maud had shouted and screamed for minutes, and whether Ona might have walked into the hallway as a result. V. formally denied this, but acknowledged that Maud walked around and later lay struggling on the bed. "Maudje asked what I was doing. I said it had to be done. She was crying too." Why he later moved Ona to a bed in the holiday home, he could not explain.
Sabotage of electricity and attempted murder of ex-partner
Chris V. is also being tried for attempted murder of his ex-partner Astrid G. He sabotaged the electricity in the holiday home. His explanation for this: "It was just an idea of mine, to prevent the children from being found quickly." Judge De Pauw raised major doubts about this account. After all, V. must have known that Astrid was in danger if she tried to restore the electricity. "I never thought about that," he replied.
The judge also pointed out that V. wrote letters after the facts to Astrid G.'s father and uncle, but not to Astrid herself. "Why not? She was surely the woman around whom it all revolved, according to you? The mother of the children you just killed?" V. gave no conclusive answer.
Motive: "It had to stop"
When asked about his motive, V. remained vague at first. Under pressure, he admitted that he did not act solely out of love. "I thought a lot about it myself, but I said that was enough. It had to stop. All the misery. I was going to lose everything."
V. also stated that he wanted to take his own life, but this repeatedly failed. The rope from which he jumped off his tractor snapped. In Ostend he jumped into the sea twice, but unexpectedly could swim. At his arrest he also drove his vehicle into a lamp post. The judge replied dryly: "Do you really think you can be dead if you drive through grass into a post at 40 or 50 kilometres per hour?"
Remorse and denial over hired killer
The accused repeatedly emphasised that he felt remorse. "I know it's all my fault. I cannot put my feelings towards Astrid into words. Of course I still like her. I'm no longer angry with her. It's a shame that I cannot turn back time."
He described his phone calls from prison as attempts to express remorse. Regarding messages that he had allegedly searched for hired killers from prison, he was adamant. "I have nothing to do with that. It was blackmail. The other inmates wanted to rent my sheds. Then I gave that address and that photo. They asked for it."
Witness questioning in the assize trial will begin Friday morning.
Source: Google News BE NL