Assize Trial Opens in Ghent Over Toddler Dean’s Death
Nearly five years after four-year-old Dean Verberckmoes was found dead on a Dutch work island, the assize trial into his death opened on Thursday at the Ghent Court of Assizes. Two defendants are in the dock: Dave De Kock (39), accused of manslaughter and kidnapping resulting in death, and his then-girlfriend Romy W. (29), charged as a co-defendant with kidnapping resulting in death. Both deny the most serious elements of the case against them, and Dean’s family hopes the proceedings will finally explain what happened during the fatal car ride in which the child died.
The Questions at the Heart of the Case
According to VRT NWS, the central question of the trial is what took place during the drive on the evening of Friday 14 January 2022. Dean had been staying with De Kock and Romy W. at their apartment in Sint-Gillis-Waas since 12 January. Instead of returning the boy to his grandparents as agreed, De Kock left alone with him that Friday evening. Using ANPR cameras, phone data, camera images and bank transactions, investigators reconstructed his movements: he drove around Flanders, crossed into the Netherlands that evening and was in various places in Zeeland overnight.
He left Dean’s body on Neeltje Jans, wrapped in a fleece blanket between the rocks. He was arrested the following Monday in Meerkerk, near Utrecht, under the influence of drugs.
The timeline compiled by VRT NWS records that De Kock first told investigators Dean had fallen down the stairs, then later claimed the boy had struck the car during a stop in the Netherlands and suffered convulsions. In his final interrogation he admitted he was responsible for the injuries but said he no longer remembered exactly what he did, having used various drugs in the preceding days. He denies leaving with the intention of killing Dean, saying he ‘snapped’ in the car.
Forensic Findings Point to Inflicted Violence
Forensic evidence has been central to the case. As the VRT NWS liveblog reported from the opening session, the Dutch forensic pathologist concluded that Dean died from ‘extensive and violent blunt-force impact trauma to the abdomen’, with possible contributing obstruction of breathing or violence to the neck. Belgian forensic doctors later found ‘head or brain injury from blunt trauma with or without shaking of the child’.
The injuries were far more severe than those De Kock described in his first interrogations and, based on their severity, number and location, point to inflicted rather than accidental trauma, the forensic experts said.
Romy W. Seeks Acquittal
Romy W., who holds Dutch nationality, denies any involvement and says she saw Dean leave alive and without visible injuries with De Kock on the Friday evening, believing he was being driven to the boy’s grandparents in Antwerp. ‘We are going for acquittal,’ her lawyer Nina Van Eeckhaut said before the hearing began.
The prosecution’s case against her rests in part on her role in the decision to keep Dean longer, her contacts with his family and her conduct after the disappearance. Among the evidence read in court were statements from Dean’s sister, who was seven at the time, describing physical violence by both defendants and speaking of possible sexual abuse. No prosecution was pursued for abuse. Experts judged her statements likely credible. De Kock shook his head ‘no’ as the declarations were read, while Romy W. became emotional and asked her lawyers for a tissue.
A Painful Case File, and a Prior Conviction
The trial carries particular weight because of De Kock’s history. In 2010 he was convicted and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment for the deadly abuse of two-year-old Miguel, the son of his then-partner, in a case that bore striking similarities to Dean’s. Court experts who compared the two dossiers found that in both cases extensive injuries pointed to inflicted violence, and that in both De Kock referred to a fall from the stairs as an explanation, VRT NWS reported.
A psychiatric report described De Kock as having an antisocial personality disorder, low frustration tolerance and no sense of guilt. He served his full sentence and was released in 2018 without further monitoring by the justice system, a fact that caused significant public and political outcry after Dean’s death. Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne said at the time that more psychiatric places were needed for ‘this kind of psychopath’, VRT NWS noted.
What Happens Next
On the opening day, presiding judge Bart Meganck oversaw the reading of the 120-page indictment, which the prosecution chose to present in full. De Kock’s lawyer, Nick Heinen, told reporters that manslaughter is ‘the correct qualification’ and that his client would answer questions and cooperate.
The interrogation of both defendants is expected on Friday morning, with witness hearings beginning in the afternoon. In total, 77 witnesses have been summoned. Elke Verberckmoes, Dean’s mother, is being represented by the prominent criminal lawyer Jef Vermassen, for whom this is likely his last assize trial. Pleas from the civil parties, the defence and the public prosecutor’s office are scheduled to begin on 15 October, with the verdict on sentencing expected on 19 October if the schedule holds.
Romy W. faces 15 to 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted of kidnapping resulting in death; the maximum penalty for De Kock is 30 years. In Turnhout, where De Kock was previously convicted, a white march was held in 2022 for both Miguel and Dean, RTV reported. For Dean’s family, the coming weeks may at last bring the clarity that nearly five years of unanswered questions have denied them.