#VTM #cancels #episode #Homicide #fierce #criticism #victims #judiciary #Antwerp
“Victims and relatives are becoming victims again.”
“Faroek gives murderers a platform, without response from the family.”
“This way of dealing with victims is very hurtful.”
The criticism that has been leveled at the VTM program ‘Homicide: life in prison’ in recent weeks has been unfounded. The way in which six murderers sentenced to life could freely tell their stories to journalist Faroek Özgünes was disappointing to several people. In particular, the fact that the program makers only informed the victims after the complete program had been recorded was met with little understanding.
“This way of dealing with victims is very hurtful. The program makers have consciously made the choice to only inform them afterwards and that is disrespectful. They wanted the victims to be merely informed, but they were not given the opportunity to raise objections. In this way, they are presented with a fait accompli,” the Victim Reception Service of the Flemish government told our newspaper at the end of last month.
The Public Prosecution Service asked VTM to stop the program, as relatives of the victims, as well as family members of perpetrators, had expressed their concerns about the program. Nevertheless, VTM remained behind the program and stated that it would continue to broadcast the remaining episodes at the end of March.
Confidentiality clause
After new consultations with all parties, this is now changing. At the express request of one of the victim’s relatives, the episode with murderer Kurt Van Rompaey is deleted.
Van Rompaey killed Werner Van Laer with several stab wounds in his flat in Antwerp’s Museumstraat in March 2000. He was jealous of Werner because he had a good relationship with his ex-girlfriend. He tried to cover up the murder by leaving several suicide letters “written by Werner”.
According to our information, several lies by Van Rompaey during the episode, which the relatives were only allowed to view in advance after signing a confidentiality clause, were not refuted. “The man is a manipulative liar. He could openly say what he wanted, without any response from the family,” said Marc Ruiters, retired commissioner of the Antwerp judicial police. He worked on the murder case at the time and is a confidant of the surviving relatives.
Ashley Van De Velde
“Together we have come to the conclusion that it is not appropriate to broadcast the episode. We will continue to consult constructively with the Public Prosecution Service and the Victim Reception Service with a view to possible subsequent series in this arena. Because these are stories that we want to keep telling,” says Sylvia De Doncker, spokesperson for DPG Media.
“Not broadcasting the episode is a nice gesture of respect for the rights and grief of the surviving relative,” says Bob Van den Broeck, CEO of the Justice and Enforcement Agency. “After all, the surviving relative has chosen to forget since that terrible event. It is to the credit of both parties – despite all the costs incurred – to take this into account ad ultimum, in an almost impossible balance and consideration between the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of the press and respect for victims’ rights.”
The Justice and Enforcement Agency has announced that it will sit down again with DPG Media and production house Lecter Media to make “better, clear and proactive agreements” to avoid such situations in the future.
The final episode of ‘Homicide: Lifelong’ will be broadcast next Wednesday. In it, Özgünes talks to Ashley Van De Velde, who kidnapped and murdered prison nurse Christine Lenaerts in 2018. “After consultation, additional initiatives were taken to address the concerns,” says De Doncker. “No additional objections or questions have subsequently arisen regarding this episode.”
Crime journalist Faroek Özgünes in conversation with Marc Gevaert, a murderer sentenced to life. — © VTM
