DNA tests exonerate French Sliman brothers in Brabant killers case

The Belgian federal prosecutor announced that DNA analyses of the exhumed remains of Xavier Sliman and his parents are negative, confirming that the French gangsters are not linked to the Brabant killers case. The remains were exhumed in late May from a cemetery in Charleville‑Mézières, France, and compared with DNA material preserved from the 1980s robbery‑murder spree, including cigarette‑butt samples.

The spokesperson said the results match earlier expectations that the French lead had already been examined without conclusive evidence. Civil parties who had sought a new investigation expressed disappointment but said they remain confident the case will eventually be solved. The prosecutor had previously stated that no further investigation would be initiated on its own, though parties may still request additional actions.

The Brabant killers, responsible for a series of armed robberies between 1982 and 1985 that left 28 people dead across Belgium, remain unidentified. The latest DNA findings close the specific line of inquiry involving the Sliman brothers, prominent figures in French organized crime.