2023-10-09 08:47:00
The trial of Mickaël Van Haute began Monday before the Hainaut Assize Court in Mons. The 30-year-old from Brussels is accused of the murder and rape of his partner’s daughter, Néva, aged 22 months, in February 2021.
The events took place in Frameries on the night of February 1 to 2, 2021. The accused was responsible for looking after his partner’s two daughters while the latter was in hospital. In the evening, the man no longer responded to his partner’s calls and messages. Mickäel Van Haute’s godmother had a last contact with him, shortly before 9:00 p.m., during which the accused made incomprehensible remarks and indicated that he was under the influence of drugs.
The next day, the accused, panicked, called his godmother back and told her that Neva was no longer moving. When emergency services arrived on the scene, they noticed the death of the little girl. His face was covered in bruises, with no bloodshed. Her older sister was found upstairs, terrified. She declared that Mickaël Van Haute had “hit the baby“.
According to the forensic doctors’ report, Neva was beaten and probably suffered sexual abuse. The cause of death was head trauma, resulting from blows to the head.
The accused provided four versions of the facts during the investigation, but none is compatible with the results of the expert assessments. He refused to participate in the reenactment.
Monday, for this first day of trial, the accused will be questioned as part of the hearing. However, a male juror is missing. He is replaced by another man. The jury remains composed of eight women and four men.
The trial is presided over by Adrien Van der Linden d’Hoogvoorst, advisor to the court of appeal.
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