Two male residents aged 93 and 97 died last night at the Mariaburcht residential care centre in Dentergem, West Flanders. A 94-year-old woman was also seriously injured, as confirmed by the public prosecutor's office of West Flanders.
The West Flanders Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed on Friday afternoon that the suspect was a 90-year-old male, a fellow resident at the care facility.
"The 90-year-old resident is alleged to have inflicted injuries on two fellow residents in one room. A 97-year-old man died at the scene," it commented. "The second resident, a 94-year-old woman, was transferred to the hospital in critical condition. A third victim followed in another room, a 93-year-old man, who also died at the scene."
The public prosecutor's office, together with an investigating judge, the police, and a forensic lab and doctor have travelled to the scene to investigate the facts of the stabbing. For the time being, no information has been released about these exact circumstances behind the altercation. Initial reports suggest that the incident was a stabbing and that the perpetrator murdered his wife four years ago with a hammer, but this has not been confirmed.
The incident happened in the Mariaburcht residential care centre, a facility with 88 residential units and 10 short-stay rooms.
