Belgian prosecutors have requalified the death of a disabled boy, Esekia, as murder, arguing that his parents deliberately let him starve to death over months of repeated neglect, lavenir.net reported.
The case centers on Gilles Viaene and Marjorie Brizard, who stand accused in the death of their son in Hainaut province. Esekia had attended Yapaka, a specialized care center overseen by the Province of Hainaut, three days a week for nine years. His condition deteriorated sharply after that care ended in February 2023.
Photos Show Deterioration Over Three and a Half Months
Nathan Radelet, the lawyer for the Province of Hainaut, presented two photographs taken three and a half months apart to illustrate the boy’s physical decline. Radelet said the intent to kill was beyond doubt. He described Viaene’s conduct as “a gross laxity” and said the father had “closed all doors to help,” at one point treating nurses as spies for the Service d’aide à la jeunesse, the youth welfare service.
Viaene also stopped administering Artane, a medication prescribed for his son, along with his food supplements, according to Radelet.
Warning Signs Traced Back to 2017
Radelet said alarm signals had existed since 2017: problems with weight and hygiene, medications not given, and unjustified absences. Despite intervention by the SAJ, the situation never durably improved. Valentine Liénard, the ad hoc guardian for Esekia’s siblings, shared that analysis, telling the court that the case involved not just missed appointments but “lies, camouflage, manipulations on the part of the parents.”
Prosecutor Argues Premeditation, Not Negligence
Prosecutor Pierre Hustin told the court that the society he represents “does not tolerate a human being, weak, fragile, vulnerable, dying of hunger.” He said the parents had “refused all outstretched hands” and directly challenged Viaene over his cannabis use, saying that if he had stopped consuming cannabis, his child could have received food supplements. “Not feeding your child is leading him to death,” Hustin said. “It is as obvious as fire burns, as water wets.”
Hustin pointed to contradictions in the siblings’ statements: several children claimed Esekia had eaten the day before his death, but medical findings contradicted that account. The prosecutor said Brizard had dictated what the children should tell police. He also questioned why Viaene waited more than an hour to call emergency services after sending his partner a video showing their son suffocating. Citing repeated failures since February 2023, Hustin said he had proposed requalifying the case before the indictment chamber, which followed him “in light of the repeated failures.”
What Remains Unanswered
Brizard remained particularly silent during the proceedings, according to Radelet, who told her she had been aware of the importance of following the treatment — a point mental health experts confirmed, he said, along with the known risk of death. The defense’s account of the final hours and the siblings’ testimony remain disputed against the medical findings, and the court has yet to rule on the requalified murder charge.
FAQ
Who is Esekia and what happened to him?
Esekia was a disabled boy from Hainaut, Belgium, who attended the specialized Yapaka center three days a week for nine years. He died after his parents allegedly stopped his medication, supplements, and care beginning in February 2023.
Why do prosecutors call it murder rather than negligence?
Prosecutor Pierre Hustin argued that repeated failures since February 2023 established premeditation, leading the indictment chamber to requalify the case as murder.
What role did the Yapaka center play?
The Province of Hainaut, which oversees Yapaka, is represented by lawyer Nathan Radelet, who presented photographic evidence of Esekia’s decline and accused the father of blocking all assistance.
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