Cause of death unclear

4 May 2007

BRUSSELS – The cause of death for 18-year-old Annick Van Uytsel is still not known. The girl received a heavy blow to the head but examiners are not certain that this was the immediate cause, the spokesperson for the public prosecution department in Louvain said during a press conference.

No suspect has yet been identified but the authorities are investigating a number of trails.

The prosecution department does not want to disclose too many details about the finding of Annick’s body so as not to endanger the investigation. They are saying however that the girl’s body was wrapped in plastic and was weighed down with stones.

The perpetrator or perpetrators clearly tried to make the body sink to escape notice.

An autopsy was performed on the girl’s body last night but few details have been ascertained. The body seems to have been in the water for some time, which makes the examination all the more difficult.

It is also not clear whether Annick was killed near where she was found.

Subject: Belgian news