Belgium is preparing to breathe new life into some of its oldest and most troubling criminal investigations, with plans to create a specialised national centre dedicated exclusively to solving cold cases.
Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden has announced a proposal to establish a centralised unit that will re-examine unsolved serious crimes such as murder, rape and manslaughter using cutting-edge forensic technology and renewed investigative strategies.
The initiative seeks to address a long-standing gap in Belgium’s justice system. Until now, the country has lacked a unified definition or standard approach to cold cases, leaving many investigations scattered across jurisdictions and often forgotten as years pass.
Under the new model, older files would no longer depend solely on local police resources. Instead, they would be reassessed systematically through a national framework designed to ensure consistency and expertise.
The proposed centre will be coordinated by the National Institute for Criminology and Criminalistics (NICC), Belgium’s leading forensic science body. The institute will work alongside prosecutors, police forces and universities to combine scientific research with practical investigative work.
Officials say advances in DNA testing, digital forensics and evidence preservation could dramatically change the outcome of cases that once appeared unsolvable. Techniques unavailable decades ago now allow investigators to extract usable genetic material from minute or degraded samples.
Cold case teams in other countries have demonstrated how breakthroughs can come years later through modern tools. Belgian authorities hope to replicate that success by building a permanent structure rather than relying on occasional reviews.
Karolien Van Dijck, senior forensic adviser at the NICC, said the pilot project aims to bring together fragmented efforts that currently operate in isolation. According to her, coordination is key to increasing both speed and success rates.
“Evidence may still exist, but it often sits in separate archives or databases,” she noted. “Bringing everything together allows us to see patterns and connections we might otherwise miss.”
The centre would also create standardised procedures for reopening files, prioritising cases based on seriousness, available evidence and potential for new leads. This approach could help ensure resources are used effectively.
For victims’ families, the proposal carries emotional significance. Many have waited decades without closure, watching investigations stall as memories fade and witnesses disappear. Verlinden said the government has a moral duty not to abandon them.
“No clue should go unused,” the minister said, emphasising that justice delayed should not mean justice denied. “Every family deserves answers, regardless of how much time has passed.”
The announcement comes at a moment when one of Belgium’s most haunting crimes has shown signs of progress. The 32-year-old murder of Tania Van Kerkhoven, killed in Berchem in 1993, has recently revealed new links to the 1994 murders of siblings Kim and Ken.
Investigators say fresh analysis and re-examined evidence helped uncover connections that had previously gone unnoticed. The development has strengthened arguments for a permanent cold case structure.
Legal experts suggest that centralising such investigations could also reduce duplication of work and improve data sharing between regions. Historically, local police units handled their own unsolved cases with limited collaboration.
By contrast, the new centre would pool expertise in forensic chemistry, genetic profiling, behavioural analysis and digital reconstruction, creating a multidisciplinary team capable of tackling complex historical crimes.
Universities are expected to contribute research and innovation, while prosecutors would guide legal strategy to ensure evidence remains admissible in court. This collaboration could speed the path from discovery to prosecution.
Funding details are still being finalised, but the ministry hopes to launch a pilot phase within the coming year. If successful, the programme could become a permanent fixture in Belgium’s criminal justice system.
For families who have lived for years with unanswered questions, the message is simple: their cases are not forgotten. With science advancing and political will growing, Belgium hopes the past may finally begin to yield its secrets.
