Dean Trial: Mother Testifies of Pain and Guilt

The mother of four-year-old Dean Verberckmoes took the stand at the Court of Assizes in Ghent on Tuesday, telling jurors she lives every day with pain and guilt over the death of her son, as the trial of the two defendants accused in the case entered its fourth day.

Elke Verberckmoes, testifying as a civil party rather than under oath, described Dean as a sweet and sensitive boy who was “crazy about Spider-Man” and “truly the apple of my eye,” according to VRT NWS. “I miss him every day. I live every day with pain and guilt,” she said. “They took him away, but they will not take my memories.”

The proceedings were devoted to character witnesses — family members and acquaintances called to paint a picture of the victim and the accused. Dave De Kock, 39, faces charges of manslaughter and abduction resulting in death, while his then-girlfriend Romy W., 29, is charged as a co-defendant for the abduction.

A Family’s Grief

Dean’s mother told the court she had sought childcare with people she trusted. “I thought they were in good hands,” she said. She also admitted regret over not having asked more about De Kock’s past, after Romy W. told her he had been imprisoned “innocently.”

The presiding judge repeatedly stressed to Elke Verberckmoes that she bears no responsibility for what happened. “I am proud of where I stand now. I finally dare to stand up for myself,” she told the court.

Dean’s uncle and godfather, Elke’s brother, also testified and broke down when describing the moment the family learned the boy was dead. “For the second time in my life I saw my father cry. He never recovered. That was the final blow,” he said, per HLN. “We have been given a life sentence,” he said. He recalled a pair of sunglasses Dean thought were cool — which he still wears every day.

The Accused’s Family Testifies

After the morning testimony, the mother and sisters of Dave De Kock took the stand. His mother, who was permitted to testify without taking the oath to shield her from prosecution, said she still loves her son. “He was a child who gave a lot of love. … I still love him. He remains my son. They must not hold that against me,” she said.

“I still cannot understand it. I don’t know how it could come to this,” she added, pointing to drink and drugs. “I don’t know Dave like that.”

One of De Kock’s sisters was too overwhelmed by emotion to complete her testimony, and the presiding judge ended the session. Another sister entered the courtroom in tears, supported by her mother, but chose to continue. “My brother was always there for me,” she said. Asked how her brother dealt with problems, she answered: “Running away. He ran away from problems and arguments.”

The mother of the accused also disclosed her own history of alcoholism, saying she has been alcohol-free for nearly three years. “You do things you normally wouldn’t do. I hurt people while drunk,” she said, though she stressed that De Kock was not confronted with that problem during his youth.

A Case of Two Children

De Kock was previously convicted in 2010 and sentenced to ten years in prison for the fatal 2008 abuse of two-year-old Miguel Van Kriekinge, the son of his then-partner — a case in which he also initially claimed the child had fallen down the stairs, RTV reported.

In the current trial, forensic pathologists testified earlier this week that Dean died from head and/or abdominal trauma, with smothering and violence to the neck not excluded. The autopsy found 80 to 85 bruises on his body, findings the pathologists said could not be explained by a fall from the stairs — the account De Kock has long maintained. Werner Jacobs, who also performed Miguel’s autopsy, testified that the injury patterns in both children were identical. “If you look at the head, torso and arms of Miguel, this could have been Dean,” he said.

Dean disappeared in January 2022 while staying with De Kock and Romy W. in Sint-Gillis-Waas. His body was found on 17 January 2022 on the Dutch island of Neeltje Jans, in Zeeland, covered under a grey blanket, according to a VRT NWS timeline of the events. The disappearance triggered an international manhunt spanning Belgium and the Netherlands.

De Kock admits responsibility for Dean’s death but claims he does not remember precisely what happened, invoking a drug-fuelled blackout and denying intent to kill. Romy W. maintains her innocence and is seeking acquittal.

What to Watch

The fourth day’s character testimony represents a shift from the technical, forensic phase of the trial toward the human cost carried by both families. The case has drawn intense public attention in Belgium and the Netherlands, galvanising sentiment strongly sympathetic to Dean’s family.

Once the character witnesses conclude, the court will move to the defence, prosecution and finally the verdict by the jury of eight women and four men. The trial has also renewed scrutiny of how individuals released after serious convictions are screened — a question central to how De Kock gained access to Dean despite his violent history.

For Dean’s mother, the courtroom appearance was as much an act of remembrance as testimony. “Everywhere I go, he goes with me,” she said. “I would so much have loved to see him grow into a man. It is terrible.”