Infants stabbed

[Gfted1]

Looks like he killed an old lady last week too:

 

Belgian day care suspect linked to 4th slaying

 

Jan 26, 1:38 PM (ET)

 

By RAF CASERT

 

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - The thin, young suspect with the enigmatic smile who is charged with three killings in Belgium's day care massacre was linked Monday to a fourth slaying - the slashing death of a 73-year-old grandmother on a remote farm.

 

And in his backpack, investigators found blueprints of the nearby Sunshine and Toddler's Land nurseries, a knife and an ax - promises of more violence to come against babies and toddlers had he not been caught.

 

"He knew where he had to go," prosecutor Christian Du Four said in the provincial town of Dendermonde, where three people were killed and 12 badly wounded Friday in an attack on a day care center.

 

In both cases, the attacks were carried out against society's most defenseless victims, and each time, a man left the scene by calmly riding away on a bicycle.

 

 

After refusing to speak and eat for three days, authorities put 20-year-old suspect Kim De Gelder on an energy-sustaining drip. He finally started talking to investigators on Monday, but revealed little.

 

"He speaks, but nothing about the facts. There is no motive, no confession, nothing at all," said Du Four.

 

So far, De Gelder faces three murder charges - a baby girl, a baby boy and a 54-year-old caregiver - and 12 attempted murder charges for the 10 children and 2 workers who had to have immediate operations to close their slashing wounds. He has not officially been charged yet with the fourth killing but the two cases files have been joined under the same inquiry judge.

 

"It appears exceptionally strange. On the one hand the old lady, on the other hand the babies. There is not a single link between the victims," said Du Four.

 

Witnesses said De Gelder entered the Fairyland nursery Friday saying only "I have a small question for you," then started slashing away.

 

A 16-year-old intern described the carnage on her blog Monday.

 

"We're quietly playing with the kids and suddenly we hear panic. We go see and Rita is full of blood, Hilda cries "there is someone with a knife!" Joyce De Landsheer wrote in the Cool_Dudes_Chillen blog.

 

She pushed toddlers outside, away from the attacker, and started calling police when she came face-to-face with him, his eyes smeared with black eyeliner. By that time he had killed a six-month-old boy, a nine-month-old girl and slashed 10 other babies. Two more adults were stabbed in addition to the slain day care worker.

 

"She feared she would be next, but for some reason, it was the end of the raid," said Walter Deygers, the director of De Landsheer's school. Instead the suspect calmly walked away, got on his bike and rode off before being arrested outside Dendermonde, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of Brussels.

 

Newspapers carried full-page pictures of a thin, longhaired suspect looking straight into the lens with an angelic smile on his face.

 

Belgian newspapers called him the "Joker" killer, a reference to the deranged "Batman" villain played by the late actor Heath Ledger. Investigators said it was not clear whether there was resemblance or intention to look that way but mascara was found in the suspect's backpack.

 

Belgians are still struggling to come grips with the attack. Some 6,000 marched silently Sunday, laying hundreds of bouquets and stuffed animals outside the day care center.

 

Other centers and schools reopened for a new week but many parents were still too anxious to let babies and children go. Four of the wounded children were still hospitalized Monday and funerals for the three killed in Dendermonde are set for Saturday.

 

The suspect has a court hearing on Tuesday.

 

"He slashed at everything he saw move," De Landsheer told the VRT television network.

[Pope]

My girlfriend's mother works in the other daycare center he had blueprints of. Pretty shocking.

[Hell Kitty]

What possible purpose would be served by torturing this guy?

 

I makes us* feel better. A bad guy has been punished in a way that pleases us, all's right with the world.

 

*Not me you violent jerks.

[Yuusha]

This is horrible. Any person/government that commits infanticide should fry!

[Walsingham]

Rage one to many times at the sky and the next one to snap may be any one of us. The first step in treating these people and prevent other tragedies we need to find the root cause of the psychosis. Is it environmental, screwed up brain chemistry, or a combination of both?

 

Are we supposed to analyse him before or after he's flayed alive?

[Killian Kalthorne]

Are we supposed to analyse him before or after he's flayed alive?

 

It probably works better if it is done before.

[Volourn]

"Any person/government that commits infanticide should fry!"

 

So, how is the Isreal hate treating you today in a thread that didn't have anything to do with them? L0LZ

 

 

P.S. My intiial assessment stands. This guy needs to be treated as evil scum not as insane.

Edited January 27, 2009 by Volourn

[Killian Kalthorne]

This is horrible. Any person/government that commits infanticide should fry!

So, what do you think of Hamas terrorists using bombs and rockets on Israeli civilians who have children around them. After all, by your assessment then Hamas should be fried.

[Gfted1]

Lol, you guys are so understanding and compassionate. Hypothetical question, is there any amount of evil a person could commit before you would consider them irredeamable? You know, a real SOB that would only be doing the planet a favor by being removed. Or is everyone savable? Just a bit more understanding, a bit more insight, a bit more handwringing?

[Killian Kalthorne]

If one is to be put to death because of some heinous and grievous action then it should be done as quickly, as directly, and as painlessly as possible. Certainly there are some acts that are irredeemable, and such unfortunate punishment would need to be used.

[Walsingham]

Lol, you guys are so understanding and compassionate. Hypothetical question, is there any amount of evil a person could commit before you would consider them irredeamable? You know, a real SOB that would only be doing the planet a favor by being removed. Or is everyone savable? Just a bit more understanding, a bit more insight, a bit more handwringing?

 

I'm more or less indifferent to his fate, keeping in mind a couple of things:

 

1. Prevention takes precedence over unsavoury revenge

2. I don't believe unsavoury revenge helps prevent anything

3. I think that unsavoury revenge corrupts the justice it claims to represent

4. I don't have a problem with the death penalty

[Gfted1]

In general I agree that "more can be done". That said, cases like this are not the norm or even forseeable, they are one-off. Some random psycho blows the last gasket keeping him in check and goes on a rampage. Theres nothing to prevent, nothing to be gained from "understanding" him, no pattern to see. Put a $3 bullet in his head and bulldoze him into a grave.

[Yuusha]

This is horrible. Any person/government that commits infanticide should fry!

So, what do you think of Hamas terrorists using bombs and rockets on Israeli civilians who have children around them. After all, by your assessment then Hamas should be fried.

I've answered this in the Israel thread. Have another look.

 

When it comes to the purposeful killing of women and children, the words

[Gorgon]

Can we have Israel vs Palestine over here, and infants stabbed over there please.

[Walsingham]

In general I agree that "more can be done". That said, cases like this are not the norm or even forseeable, they are one-off. Some random psycho blows the last gasket keeping him in check and goes on a rampage. Theres nothing to prevent, nothing to be gained from "understanding" him, no pattern to see. Put a $3 bullet in his head and bulldoze him into a grave.

 

*nods thoughtfully*

 

But I would argue that while this is not a normal case, if mental health was better served then we would catch these extreme cases along with the norm. I sincerely doubt this dingbat was never statemented or detained before.

 

I accept that is different from the retrospective, but we desparately need to understand what tips the balance. Is it solar flares? A drop in air pressure? A news feature? Hormones? Not being able to get a tune out of your head?

[Hell Kitty]

I'm more or less indifferent to his fate

 

I'm the same. I just can't support the death penalty due to corruption and error. There is no difference between the possibly guilty and the definitely guilty, and if the verdict is wrong, there needs to be a way to correct it.

Edited January 29, 2009 by Hell Kitty

[Walsingham]

I'm more or less indifferent to his fate

 

I'm the same. I just can't support the death penalty due to corruption and error. There is no difference between the possibly guilty and the definitely guilty, and if the verdict is wrong, there needs to be a way to correct it.

I've been thinking about that. One could argue that - in the US and elsewhere - a spell in jail longer than a year is a life-sentence of sorts.

[Darth InSidious]

Lol, you guys are so understanding and compassionate. Hypothetical question, is there any amount of evil a person could commit before you would consider them irredeamable? You know, a real SOB that would only be doing the planet a favor by being removed.

No.

 

Or is everyone savable?

Yes.

 

Just a bit more understanding, a bit more insight, a bit more handwringing?

No.

[Walsingham]

Pliers. You can do anything with big enough pliers.

[Gorgon]

Throw him in a hole somewhere and toss the key. I believe the French have a term for it, Oubliette.

[Pope]

All this attention is exactly what the idiot wants. He was sick of his life so he did something people would remember him by.

 

Not saying we shouldn't discuss this, but all the news about it is really the last thing this unfortunate event needs. Then again, not covering it would be unfair to the victims, so it's a tricky situation. But over here, his face is on all front pages of all newspapers, and it's driving me sick.

[Walsingham]

Throw him in a hole somewhere and toss the key. I believe the French have a term for it, Oubliette.

 

An oubliette doesn't have a key. typically it would just be a long drop, concealed under a trapdoor in a castle. I've never seen one, but my godfather did. You just push someone in. Or let them walk over it. They fall a long way and either die instantly or over a long period of time. Bloody silly idea if you ask me. Think of the smell.

[Blarghagh]

The way the media was so quick to blame this on The Dark Knight is slightly perturbing.

[Darth InSidious]

The way the media was so quick to blame this on The Dark Knight is slightly perturbing.

Perhaps, but how is it any different from any other attempt by the media to excuse societal responsibility for something by blaming it on popular entertainment (cf: Doom)?

[Walsingham]

It's not disturbing at all. Journalists are lazy by profession. The guy wears makeup and is a psycho. It's a straight simple angle that won't confuse anyone. Write it up, and go home early.