Ozan Selamet

Background

Ozan Selamet was a Turkish man in Belgium. He was suspected of slaying his five children and his ex-wife's new lover in a killing spree in the Belgian capital, Brussels, on Friday night. He did not kill his wife. Selamet surrendered to the police early Saturday morning.

Selamet said: "I'm not killing you so that you would suffer for the rest of your life."

The offence

Ozan Selamet killed five children and another man. The killings were described as happening in connection with punishment of his estranged wife.

It appeared Selamet killed three of his sons and a daughter after they had paid him a visit, before driving off with his victims to his ex-wife's home in a working class Brussels neighbourhood of Ganshoren, where he gunned down his eldest daughter and his wife's ex-lover.

The bodies of the three boys, aged 18, 10 and 6, were found in a car parked near their mother’s house. The oldest had been shot and the others apparently strangled. The youngest daughter, aged four, who had managed to escape from the vehicle, was found on the ground a few metres away but died on the way to hospital.

The only witness to the drama was a young girl, a friend of the eldest daughter, who was in the house when the killing began.

Neighbours said the children were terrified of their father. A butcher said the eldest daughter had run into his shop on the same street as the family home a little over a year ago screaming, "My father is hysterical, he has gone mad, call the police".

Investigation

Assistant prosecutor Bernard Michielsen held a press conference. He said Selamet, from Turkey, was arrested early Saturday after allegedly confessing his crime to the manager of a cafe where he had stopped for a few late-night drinks after the massacre. Bernard Michielsen said: "Her cries alerted her neighbours, who called the police." Bernard Michielsen also said: "The mother had gone out looking for the children and when she returned home she saw the car and discovered the tragedy,".

Bernard Michielsen said: "Her cries alerted her neighbours, who called the police."

Arrest

After the massacre, Selamet went to a nearby cafe where he drunk a few beers and a whisky. He confessed that he had just killed six people and handed over his weapon to the cafe boss, who called the police.

Selamet was arrested early Saturday after allegedly confessing his crime to the manager of the cafe.

Selamet was aged in his 50s and of Albanian origin.

Trial

Selamet was due to appear before an examining magistrate later Saturday.

Sentencing

Ozan Selamet was sentenced to life in prison on October 24, 2003.

Outcome

Sentencing outcome was life in prison.

Other details

The mother had gone out looking for the children and when she returned home she saw the car and discovered the tragedy. The youngest daughter had managed to escape from the vehicle, was found on the ground a few metres away, and died on the way to hospital.