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Belgian charged for creche attack Belgian charged for creche attack
(about 3 hours later)
A 20-year-old Belgian man has been charged with killing two babies and an adult in a stabbing spree at a Belgian nursery, a prosecutor said. Magistrates in Belgium have charged a 20-year-old man with the murder of two babies and a nurse at a nursery near Brussels on Friday, prosecutors say.
The man was arrested hours after the frenzied knife attack in the town of Dendermonde, in which 10 children and two adults were also wounded. The man, who prosecutors named as Kim D, was arrested hours after the knife attack in Dendermonde, in which 10 children and two adults were also hurt.
The man, whose identity has not been released, is also charged with attempted murder. Police say he may have been planning attacks on three other nurseries, whose addresses he is reported to have had.
He will appear in court on Tuesday. He has no previous convictions. The suspect will appear in court on Tuesday. He has no past convictions.
Among the 12 people recovering in hospital, two young children are said to be in a very serious but not life-threatening condition.Among the 12 people recovering in hospital, two young children are said to be in a very serious but not life-threatening condition.
Members of the Belgian royal family have gone to the town to offer comfort to emergency workers. Members of the Belgian royal family have gone to the north-western town to offer comfort to emergency workers.
Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde arrived at a crisis centre in the Dutch-speaking north-western town on Friday evening.
'Large knife''Large knife'
Prosecutor Christian Du Four refused to name the detainee but said he came from the town. Speaking at a news conference in Dendermonde, Prosecutor Christian Du Four said the man charged with the murders at the nursery was a 20-year-old from Belsele, a village about 15km (nine miles) to the north.
"We know his name - Kim D. He was interrogated for hours yesterday, late in the afternoon and during the evening. He hasn't said anything so we don't know his motives. He doesn't say anything about what happened," he said.
In pictures: Belgian stabbingIn pictures: Belgian stabbing
"He is a 20-year-old Belgian, not of foreign origin," he said. Mr Du Four said that when the suspect was arrested, he had been carrying a knife, a small axe and a fake pistol. He was also wearing a bullet-proof vest.
Denying initial rumours, he added: "He did not escape from a psychiatric institution. He was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs." Investigators also found two knives which belonged to the man near the nursery, he added. The murder weapon was "large knife", about 30cm (12-inch) long.
The detainee had "not said anything on the facts [of the crime]". Police have denied that the man was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or had escaped from a psychiatric institution, but correspondents say questions are being asked about why he had painted his face white, with black patches around his eyes.
He also announced that the weapon had been found, describing it as a "large knife", about 30cm (12in) long. Drawing a link with make-up worn by the Joker in Batman, one Belgian newspaper says the killings took place exactly one year and a day after the death of the Oscar-nominated actor Heath Ledger, who played the character in the film, the Dark Knight.
Leene Du Bois, a spokeswoman for the regional government of Flanders, said the suspected killer had had no connection to the nursery. Leene Du Bois, a spokeswoman for the government of Flanders, said the suspected killer had had no connection to the nursery.
Mr Du Four said he would not comment on whether other attacks were planned, but local media have reported that police also found the addresses of three other nurseries in the man's possession.
'Multiple stab wounds''Multiple stab wounds'
The 10 injured children all had "multiple stab wounds on their legs, arms and all over their bodies", a doctor said.
Earlier, parents had been asked to identify their children from digital photographs taken at local hospitals.
The attack reportedly began after a man rang the doorbell at the Fabeltjesland nursery on Friday morning and told staff he needed some information.The attack reportedly began after a man rang the doorbell at the Fabeltjesland nursery on Friday morning and told staff he needed some information.
When they opened the door, he ran in and "quickly pulled out a knife and started using it on the children", Mr Du Four said.When they opened the door, he ran in and "quickly pulled out a knife and started using it on the children", Mr Du Four said.
"He then went up to another floor and started doing the same thing again.""He then went up to another floor and started doing the same thing again."
The prosecutor said the man's face had been smeared with a white colouring but his eyes had been blackened. A nine-month old girl, a six-month old boy and a 54-year-old nurse were killed. The 10 injured children all had "multiple stab wounds on their legs, arms and all over their bodies", doctors said.
The nursery looked after 18 children aged three and under. Earlier, parents had been asked to identify their children from digital photographs taken at local hospitals.