Investigators to the criminal court for forgery in murder investigation
The defense and the Bruges department of the West Flanders Public Prosecutor’s Office had requested that the prosecution be suspended. Everything revolves around a forced confession by Geert Vanweehaeghe, who was eventually acquitted.
Geert Vanweehaeghe had to answer to the West Flemish court of assizes in May 2015 for the murder of his partner Caroline Vyncke. On February 9, 2011, the man himself reported the disappearance of his girlfriend. After an argument, Caroline Vyncke went for a walk with the dog the night before. The investigation mainly focused on the suspicious behavior of Vanweehaeghe. He got even more into trouble by making muddled confessions, and each time withdrawing them immediately. The breakthrough came when, after two months, a femur of Caroline Vyncke was found in the Heulebeek. In the following days, the head and part of the torso appeared in the same place. The doctors determined that the victim was stabbed to the chest and face.
In the meantime, it had emerged that Thomas Couvreur, who lived in the same street, was in possession of Caroline Vyncke’s mobile phone. A blood trail with his DNA and that of the victim was found on his blade. Despite this, the council chamber wanted to exclude him from prosecution, but the AI reversed that decision. In August 2013, the new owner of his home found body remains of the victim in a drain. Couvreur continued to deny any involvement in the murder, but was sentenced to life imprisonment.
iffy
Only seven jurors were convinced that Vanweehaeghe was also guilty. After deliberation, the court decided to join the minority and acquit Vanweehaeghe. Extensive reference was made during the judgment to the dubious way in which the accused’s alleged confessions had been made. One of the confessions came when Vanweehaeghe was placed on the grid after the reconstruction in his home by the investigating judge and the law doctor. At that time, there was still listening equipment in the house, so that the conversation was accidentally recorded.
The exact circumstances only came to light when the tape was played at the request of the defense during the assize trial. First it was heard how law doctor Marc De Leeuw explained to Vanweehaeghe that there had certainly been a second stab. However, the accused continued to insist that Caroline Vyncke had only fallen on his knife.
“Just tell me how it was, then we’ll get rid of it. These are bad facts, we’re going to continue to harass you,” said examining magistrate Marc Allegaert. Vanweehaeghe, however, kept saying ‘nink’ quite vehemently, and claimed not to remember. “If you don’t give an explanation now, the police people will confront you every day,” the law doctor also tried. “Shouting, ranting and knocking on the table, I can say that. But the rest, no,” replied Vanweehaeghe. After half an hour, the accused gave in and acted out the scene. However, the transcript did not state how the mentally retarded man was maneuvered towards a confession. Vanweehaeghe’s lawyers immediately filed a civil action complaint for forgery.
House searches
As a result of that complaint, the then investigators of the Grensleie police zone were not interrogated until six years later. House searches were also carried out at the time. According to their lawyer, they never intended to hide anything when writing the tape. In other words, the police officers were simply doing their job. The defense also notes that the investigating judge, the council chamber and the AI never criticized the transcript in question. Just like the prosecutor’s office, the defense therefore asked for the dismissal of the prosecution.
However, Geert Vanweehaeghe’s lawyers successfully insisted on a referral to the criminal court. According to master Frank Scheerlinck, after the reconstruction, unauthorized pressure was indeed put on his client. It is therefore no coincidence, according to the civil parties, that that passage was not reproduced in the transcription of the tape. Moreover, no lawyer was present during that improvised interrogation.