SINT-MARTENS-LATE –
78-year-old Hans D., who is suspected of the murder of his then wife Annie De Poortere, is further placed under electronic surveillance. The council chamber decided this on Friday, in the presence of the suspect. Meanwhile, the autopsy on the body has not revealed how Annie died.
The Ghent council chamber confirmed the arrest under electronic surveillance of Hans D. on Friday morning. D., who was present in the council chamber, is suspected of murdering his then wife Annie De Poortere in 1994.
The man had left the prison under electronic surveillance and appeared through the public areas with his lawyer Ashley Bickx. Both declined to comment before the start of the hearing.
De Poortere’s remains were found last Saturday, April 27, during excavation work in the backyard next to her former home in Kerkstraat in Sint-Martens-Latem. De Poortere disappeared on November 12, 1994.
Based on several strong indications, the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office assumes that the remains belong to the then 48-year-old woman. An investigating judge was summoned and an investigation started.
Last Monday, her then husband, Hans D. (78), was arrested and extensively interrogated. D. eventually confessed that he had buried her body at the time, but he denies that he killed his wife. Further investigation will now have to reveal what exactly happened to Annie.
His lawyer Ashley Bickx does not confirm Hans D.’s partial confession, but does say that his client maintains his position. The lawyer cannot confirm whether his client states that he found his wife dead and then hid the body. D. himself did not say a word after the council chamber session, which took place behind closed doors.
“Free with ankle bracelet”
The fact that a main suspect in a recently initiated murder case appears before the council chamber “free with an ankle bracelet” is highly exceptional. The decision of the council chamber extends the detention under electronic monitoring by one month, but the public prosecutor’s office can still appeal against the decision. The Ghent Indictment Chamber (KI) must then rule on the further arrest and the manner in which it will be carried out within two weeks. The defense is unlikely to appeal. “The decision of the council chamber was to be expected. No earth-shattering things happened today,” says Bickx.
Due to the recent change in the law regarding the limitation period for murder, which was increased from 20 to 30 years, the court has until November 12 to bring the suspect to justice. “My client is fully cooperating with the investigation. There are still many matters that need to be further investigated,” says the lawyer. An autopsy on the victim’s remains took place on Thursday, but the defense and the prosecutor’s office have not provided any details.
