Parket lost meer details over dader
Kim D., zoals hij er twee jaar geleden uitzag rr
Op een persconferentie heeft de procureur des konings Christian Du Four meer details vrijgegeven over de dader van de steekpartij in het kinderdagverblijf Fabeltjesland.
Na het drama in Dendermonde konden politieagenten de man overmeesteren in het nabijgelegen Lebbeke. Het gaat om de 20-jarige Kim D. uit Sinaai, een deelgemeente van Sint-Niklaas. De man woont alleen, en is al geruime tijd werkloos.De man droeg bij zijn arrestatie een kogelvrije vest. In zijn rugzak had hij een mes, een bijl en een neppistool. In de omgeving van de feiten werden twee messen teruggevonden. Het parket bevestigde ook dat de man geschminkt was.De man werkt niet mee met het gerechtelijk onderzoek en heeft nog geen bekentenissen afgelegd. De procureur ontkende ook dat de dader de onderzoekers uitlacht, hij gedraagt zich integendeel zeer passief.De speurders tasten nog in het duister over de link tussen de dader en de crèche in Dendermonde. Volgens de VRT zou de man het plan gehad hebben om verschillende crèches aan te vallen, en om in het totaal 67 doden te maken. Maar de procureur kon niet bevestigen of ontkennen dat de dader meerdere adressen op zak had van andere crèches in de buurt, of dat hij van plan was zoveel moorden te plegen.Volgens de laatste vaststellingen ter plaatse zou de dader niet binnengekomen zijn langs de hoofdingang, zoals eerst gedacht. De man zou gebruik gemaakt hebben van een zij-ingang waardoor hij zich onmiddelijk in een ruimte bevond met kinderen. Die ingang zou niet op slot zijn geweest.Kim D. is via foto's formeel herkend door de slachtoffers, zodat er geen twijfel is over het feit dat hij de dader is. Hij heeft geen gerechterlijk verleden. De procureur stelde drie psychiaters aan die de man moeten onderzoeken. 'Er is geen enkel element dat ons doet geloven dat hij een psychiatrisch verleden heeft', voegde procureur Du Four er nog aan toe.De jongeman woonde in op de eerste verdieping van een in huurappartementen onderverdeelde woning in de Elzenstraat. De politie voerde er vrijdagavond een huiszoeking uit en de toegang blijft voorlopig afgesloten met politielint.Volgens omwonenden verbleef Kim D. nog maar drie maanden in het appartement. 'Niemand in de buurt kende hem echt goed', zeggen Tiny De Mulder en Raf Demeyer, die vlak naast de jongeman wonen. 'Hij leefde teruggetrokken en was een zonderling. Hij werkte in een magazijn van Van Remoortel in Belsele, maar verloor daar onlangs zijn job. Hij verplaatste zich altijd met de fiets, net als op de dag van de feiten.'In de buurt wonen veel mensen met jonge kinderen en in de doodlopende straat is er een speelterrein niet ver van de woning van Kim D. De buurtbewoners zijn geschokt dat de dader in hun straat woonde, maar reageren opgelucht dat de dader niet in zijn onmiddellijke omgeving toesloeg.
Mark Eeckhaut
NIEUWSOVERZICHT
Prosecutor Christian Du Four has released more details on the fatal stabbing in a day care center in East Flanders, Belgium, yesterday, in which two children (six and nine months old) and one employee were killed. Ten children and two adults were injured.

The alleged perpetrator, a 20-year-old man from nearby Sint-Niklaas, was arrested in the neighbouring municipality of Lebbeke shortly after the crime. Belgian news website nieuwsblad.be have named the arrested man as Kim De Gelder.

===The attack===
The attacker wore a bullet-proof vest under his clothes and a backpack containing a knife, an axe and a fake pistol. Two other knives were found near the crime scene.

The prosecutor confirmed that the man's face was painted white with blackened eyes as he committed the crime, which led international media to make comparisons to the Joker, the villain from the Batman series.

"I have a question," the killer told the first employee he encountered, after which he immediately stabbed her, and started his rampage. One female day care worker attempted to disarm the killer while others locked the doors. The killer stabbed employees trying to carry children to safety.

The arrested man is not cooperating with the investigation and has not confessed. The prosecutor described his attitude as "passive". "He says nothing to his questioners. He is absolutely uncooperative," the prosecutor explained. Yesterday, media reported that the killer was laughing at the officers who were questioning him, but the prosecutor today denied these speculations.

According to the crime scene investigation, the man entered the building through an unlocked side-entrance which gave immediate access to the room with the babies. He stabbed several of them, then went to another room where he stabbed other children. He then fled on the bicycle on which he had arrived.

Location of the stabbing.
Panic struck in Dendermonde amidst fears that the man would attack more crèches or schools. There were reports that the killer carried a note with names and addresses of other day care centres or schools nearby, something which the prosecutor could not comment on. The Associated Press says three judicial officials anonymously confirmed that the attacker carried addresses of three other nurseries. Following news of the stabbings, all schools in Dendermonde were ordered to keep all gates shut.

Eyewitness Hans Staelens told reporters that he had noticed a suspicious character in the street where the day care centre 'Fable Land' was located. He described him as "not too tall, thin, red hair, dark eyes, like make-up".

The alleged killer lived alone and was unemployed, but does not have a criminal record. "There is no element whatsoever that makes us believe he has a psychiatric history," the prosecutor told the press at a conference today. He has commissioned three psychiatrists to examine the man. Kim D. was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

===Victims===
One child and one woman died in the day care centre itself, with another child dying in hospital. All injured are reported to be in stable condition. Three children and one adult remain in intensive care. Five others also remain hospitalised, although several are expected to be discharged at some point during the weekend.

54-year-old Marita Blindeman, who was killed in the attack, worked in the day care centre, which was sponsored by social services, since she was 18. Since the death of her father, she lived with, and took care of, both her mother and her sister, who has a learning disability. Just two years ago, she started having a relationship with a man, according to her son in a letter to newspapers.

Only six of the 18 children in the crèche, all under the age of three, were uninjured. Meanwhile, the decision has been taken not to reopen the day care centre, but to provide day care in other facilities. Six employees were present during the attack.

===Response to the incident===
Friday evening, the Belgian crown prince and his wife visited the crime scene. The couple, who have four children, were moved deeply by the killings.

Some hundred people have signed a mourning registry in Dendermonde's city hall, and flowers and teddy bears were left at the day care centre. A silent demonstration is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon and a mourning ceremony will be held on Monday evening.

Several media outlets have discussed the safety of day care centres. Minister Veerle Heeren said she would consider additional safety measures if the investigation suggests it, but also added that, "a day care centre should be a haven, not a prison."