Police investigating previous violence by man accused of killing partner, hurting child

The police and judiciary are investigating whether 29-year-old Kevin L. may have previously committed violence against his 23-year-old partner and their 5-year-old son. The man is suspected of killing his partner and assaulting the child in their Roosendaal home in July.

If it turns out that he was violent before, the charges against L. will be expanded, the public prosecutor said during the first, preliminary hearing in the case in the court in Breda on Monday. L., who is still in custody, decided at the last minute not to appear in court, to the surprise of his lawyer.

L. is accused of violently killing the woman in their home on Wilhelminastraat in Roosendaal on July 27. How he killed her has not yet been revealed. He also allegedly assaulted the boy that same evening. L. showed up at a police station with the child, after which the police found the woman dead in their apartment.

The prosecutor spoke of “an extremely distressing, sad case.” The investigation team is trying to gain more insight into the situation in the family and what preceded the man killing the woman. The autopsy report from the forensic pathologist is not ready yet.

According to the prosecutor, the autopsy report is “an important piece” because it can provide clarity on the question of whether the woman suffered previous violence. It is not yet clear whether the child will be questioned.

L. will be examined at the Pieter Baan Center, the judiciary’s behavioral observation clinic. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) expects that there will not be a place for the man in the center until February or March.

The next interim hearing is on January 23.