Netflix is on a spree to release documentaries based on real-life incidents. Last year, they released two seasons of Unsolved Mysteries which left the audience stunned. Earlier this year, Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel was out which featured the story of the mysterious disappearance and death of Elisa Lam. This week, the streaming platform released another series based on another very shocking incident.
Under Suspicion: Uncovering the Wesphael Case is a high-profile murder case of Belgium that involves a renowned politician named Bernard Wesphael. The docuseries has 6 episodes and it is created by Georges Huercano and Pascal Vrebos. The case is of the year 2013 when Bernard’s wife Véronique Pirotton was found dead in an Ostend hotel room. He was the main suspect in the case as he and his wife were in the same room when the death happened.
The case had grabbed a lot of headlines when the incident happened. Bernard Wesphael was a known political figure as he was the founder of Ecolo party that focuses on green and ecological policy. The party was founded in 1980. In the year 1987, Bernard became a member of Belgium’s Provision Council and in 1999, he was the Walloon Deputy, a member of the Parliament.
In the Netflix docuseries Under Suspicion: Uncovering the Wesphael Case, the creators tell us that this is the second case in Belgium that involves a member of the Parliament. In the six episodes, we are shown how Véronique Pirotton’s family members are sure that it was Bernard who killed her. On the other hand, the politician claims that he didn’t kill his wife and she died by suicide.
In the series, Wesphael says that he found his wife’s body in the hotel’s bathroom and her head was covered in a plastic bag. To prove his point that he didn’t commit any crime, he tells the judge and the jury that his wife had a history of self-harm and suicidal tendencies. He even talks about the fight they had the night before her death. In the autopsy conducted on her body, the result showed that drugs and alcohol were in Véronique’s body and pointed out the possibility that she died either by accident or due to asphyxiation.
Under Suspicion: Uncovering the Wesphael Case shows how Bernard was firm all the time that he didn’t kill his wife. Yet, the hearing went on for days and in 2013, he was put in custody for 10 months, until August 2014. In 2016, there was another trial and he was acquitted. Why was he acquitted? What really happened that night in the hotel? Who killed Véronique Pirotton? Well, you may get some answers when you watch the docuseries.
Under Suspicion: Uncovering the Wesphael Case: Is it worth it?
Overall, Under Suspicion: Uncovering the Wesphael Case is worth watching. If investigative stories are your thing, you will be hooked till the end. A curious soul like me will also spend more time reading about the case on the internet. So, don your detective hat and watch this high-profile case on Netflix right away.
Under Suspicion: Uncovering the Wesphael Case is streaming on Netflix.
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