Father arrested in Amsterdam boy’s suspicious death at Groningen home

The 45-year-old man from Groningen who was arrested in connection with the death of a boy from Amsterdam was confirmed by prosecutors as the victim's father. "He is suspected of killing his 12-year-old son," prosecutors said in a statement on Tuesday. Police previously said the victim was a relative, but that the two did not live in the same city.

"The family is completely devastated and deeply saddened," said a spokesperson for support association Namens de Familie, who spoke with ANP. The boy’s body was found in a home on Blekerslaan in Groningen on Sunday under suspicious circumstances. The suspect was detained shortly after police arrived on the scene at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

The Groningen man was brought before an examining magistrate on Tuesday, who remanded the suspect into jail for a period of two weeks. His arraignment will then take place before a district court, where judges can extend his pre-trial detention by up to 90 days at a time.

The manner of death has not been revealed, nor has a suspected motive. It is unclear whether police had previous contact with the suspect, who was being kept in restricted custody, meaning that he can only have contact with his lawyer.

Victim support services is being offered to anybody who has been affected by the death of the boy.