Baby found dead at grandmother's villa in Ichtegem, parents questioned as unexplained-death investigation begins
A six-week-old infant was found dead at his grandmother's home in Ichtegem on Saturday, prompting an investigation into an unexplained death; both parents were taken in for questioning, according to the public prosecutor's office.
Discovery and emergency response
Shortly after noon on Saturday, 25 July 2026, a 112 call was made from a villa on Keibergstraat in Ichtegem, West Flanders. The caller, whose identity has not been released, reported grave concern for a baby aged just one and a half months. Emergency services rushed to the address, which sources later identified as the home of the infant's grandmother. When a doctor arrived, there was nothing to be done: the doctor could only confirm the child had died.
Police vehicles remained stationed outside the villa into the afternoon, and the public prosecutor for West Flanders was notified. The investigation is being handled as an "unclear death" (onduidelijk overlijden), a designation that signals the circumstances are not immediately obvious and require full forensic examination.
Parents taken for questioning
Both parents of the deceased child were taken for a hearing, according to reports from Het Laatste Nieuws confirmed by the Belgian press. The articles do not give ages or names, and a police combi was still posted at the door of the villa at the time of publication. The prosecutor's office has not yet characterised the status of the parents, repeating only that all lines of inquiry remain open.
Forensic steps and on-site work
A forensic laboratory team and a medical examiner were dispatched to Keibergstraat on Saturday afternoon, the public prosecutor's office confirmed. Their task is to determine exactly how the baby lost its life and whether any third party was involved. No information about injuries, toxicology, or the condition of the house has been disclosed.
Statements from the magistrate
Tobias Valcke, the press-relations magistrate at the West Flanders public prosecutor's office, delivered a brief statement to media, which was quoted by several outlets.
All leads are still open. The forensic doctor and the forensic-science team went to the scene.
Valcke confirmed that the office had received a report concerning the death of a very young child but said the investigation was at too early a stage to release any further substantive information. "At this stage of the investigation we will communicate no other information on the merits," he said. "We can simply indicate that a forensic doctor and the forensic-science team are currently conducting a thorough investigation."
What comes next
No timeline for the forensic results has been provided, and the prosecutor has not indicated whether the hearing of the parents will be extended. As long as the case is treated as an unclear death, the file remains under the direct supervision of the examining magistrate. Any change in classification (for example, to a homicide investigation) would require additional judicial steps that have not yet been signalled.
