Raul M., a 9-year-old boy, was subjected to horrific abuses such as being beaten with a belt, punched, and even doused with ice or boiling water. Eventually, he lost consciousness and died. His body was then placed in a sports bag and thrown into the Houtdok in Ghent. Raul lived with his mother, her boyfriend, and his 11-year-old sister in a dilapidated house near the Porte du Barrage. The mother and daughter were recently questioned by the police, which led to the discovery of Raul’s body. An arrest was made, but the ex-boyfriend is at large.
A teacher described Raul as a nice and pleasant child who had dreams of becoming a famous footballer. His family’s tributes to him on social media reflect how his life was cut tragically short.
Beaten with a belt and punched, doused with ice or boiling water. These are the terrible abuses that 9-year-old Raul M. had to endure on several occasions. Until her little body mightn’t take it anymore. The little boy eventually lost consciousness and died. The child was then put in a Puma sports bag and thrown into the Houtdok in Ghent. The young Romanian lived with his 11-year-old sister, his mother and her boyfriend in Ghent, near the Porte du Barrage. In this dilapidated house, at the back of the courtyard, the white front door has since been sealed with tape by the police. Because behind it took place atrocious scenes which the little boy did not survive.
It seems that the murder took place at the beginning of the year but the facts had been concealed. Instead of notifying the emergency services or the police, relatives decided to put Raul’s little body in a weighted sports bag and dump it a kilometer away in the water. This week, the mother and her daughter were questioned by the police. The statements of the latter led the investigators to the place where the body had been thrown.
Specialized teams carried out sonar searches and made the macabre discovery. The mother was arrested by the investigating judge. Her ex-boyfriend is on the run.
“A nice and pleasant child”
Asked by the Nieuwsblad, a teacher said that Raul was “a nice and pleasant child”: “He really wanted to become a famous footballer. But he was also constantly looking for love and validation. Today, we understand better why.
Relatives of the family paid tribute to the child on social networks: “Your life was too short Raul”, can we read on Facebook.
The tragic death of 9-year-old Raul M. is a sobering reminder of the devastating impact of child abuse. The fact that his abuse went unnoticed and unreported is a failure of our society to protect its most vulnerable members. Our hearts go out to Raul’s loved ones, and we hope that justice will be served for this innocent child. It is important that we continue to raise awareness regarding child abuse and work together as a community to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.
