Three murders and several poisoning attempts in West Flemish retirement home

Three murders and several poisoning attempts in West Flemish retirement home
Rozenberg care home in Oostrozebeke, Wednesday 07 September 2022. For about a year, several elderly residents were injected with an overdose of insulin. Three times that resulted in a murder. In the case of four other victims, it remained an attempt. Credit: Belga / Kurt Desplenter

Three murders and multiple attempts were committed at a retirement home in Oostrozebeke in West Flanders. It has been reported by Het Laatste Nieuws and VTM Nieuws that elderly residents were poisoned with overdoses of insulin, and the perpetrator is yet to be caught.

The perpetrator first struck in July 2020. Throughout that year, several residents at the Rozenberg care centre were injected with an overdose of insulin, which resulted in the death of one person. An 87-year-old man survived two attempts at poisoning but was killed after a third attempt. But there were additional attempts at murder.

None of the victims needed insulin injections, so the care home went to the police. "Grandma didn't have diabetes at all," one victim's granddaughter said. "But someone injected it anyway, undetected between her toes."

Still investigating

Police are now investigating the murders and attempted murders. They have questioned all staff members, as well as relatives, and carried out several house searches. Autopsies were conducted on the victims.

Events took a turn when the murders and attempted murders suddenly stopped in August 2021. Although the investigation continued, police offers are still in the dark for now.

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"Of course, I would like to know who did it. But above all why," said Lindsay (45) whose grandmother Madeleine (93) was one of the victims. "Out of pity? Grandma had dementia but still had a very happy life. So that certainly couldn't have been a motive."

The care home declined to elaborate further on events "due to the secrecy of the investigation," adding that "we hope that the court can complete its work soon."


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