Suspect in investigation into Romanian boy's death waives extradition to Belgium

A 34-year-old man who was arrested in Bakel, Noord-Brabant on Friday evening in connection with an investigation into the death of a 9-year-old Romanian child in Ghent will not oppose his surrender to authorities in Belgium who requested his extradition. The man was brought before a prosecutor in Amsterdam on Monday. The Romanian man agreed to the shortened procedure to be handed over to Belgium, which will take place within four or five working days, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) said.

The man is suspected of involvement in the death of the boy, whose body was found on Thursday in a sports bag. The bag weighted down with rocks and was thrown into the water. The child has been missing since early this year. His exact cause of death is still under investigation. Investigators believe the boy is from a family with a history of abuse.

The arrested suspect is from Romania and has no known place of residence, Dutch officials said. He is the ex-boyfriend of the boy's mother, said the Belgian prosecution service. The boy's 34-year-old mother was also arrested on Friday. She said the man was responsible for the boy's death, according to the Belga news agency.

Investigators hope to determine the accuracy of her story, and to learn more about what exactly happened leading up to the child's death.

The man was brought before the public prosecutor by video link on Monday. He was initially taken into custody on a European arrest warrant. In the Netherlands, all cases regarding extradition from the Netherlands to another country within the European Union are handled by the International Legal Assistance Center (IRC) in Amsterdam. Later this week there will be another hearing in court, where the suspect must confirm his decision for an abridged extradition procedure.

A Dutch lawyer representing the Romanian man provided assistance during Monday's hearing. However, he said he was unable to provide any further information on the record, because it concerns a Belgian investigation. He said the man must be given the opportunity to discuss his case with a Belgian criminal lawyer before any comment is given by his representation.