Under Suspicion: Uncovering the Wesphael Case

TV review by Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media
Under Suspicion: Uncovering the Wesphael Case Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Sensational true crime docu talks violence, sex, suicide.

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  • Bernard Wesphael in the hotel room where it happened.
  • During an interrogation.
  • Witnesses discuss what they heard the first night.
  • Nadine Pirotton.

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Under Suspicion: Uncovering the Wesphael Case is a documentary series about the high-profile case of a Belgian politician accused of murdering his wife. It shows disturbing crime scene images of the deceased, and there are descriptions of wounds and conversations about verbal and physical altercations, adultery, sexual acts, and sexual violence. Mental illness, suicide, and addiction are also addressed, particularly as they relate to the murder victim. Brief video footage shows people drinking and smoking.

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What's the Story?

UNDER SUSPICION: UNCOVERING THE WESPHAEL CASE is a documentary series about the incarceration and trial of a Belgian politician for the suspicious death of his wife. On October 31, 2013, Véronique Pirotton was found dead in a hotel bathroom in the seaside town of Ostend, where she was staying with her husband, Walloon parliamentarian Bernard Wesphael, for a quick, unplanned getaway. As the prime suspect in her murder, Wesphael was held without bail for 10 months, despite the fact that the autopsy of his wife's body suggested that she may have died by suicide. Two years later, he was acquitted of her murder. In a series of interviews, Wesphael discusses the events leading up to the last time he saw her alive, and details about what transpired afterward. Video footage of specific events, crime scene photographs, and interviews with journalists, lawyers, witnesses, Wesphael's adult daughter, and members of Véronique's family also offer some insight into what happened.

Is It Any Good?

This interesting, albeit slow-moving, series (mostly in French with English subtitles) offers lots of details about one of Europe's most high-profile murder cases. Much of what is featured here is told from Bernard Wesphael's point of view, and he painstakingly offers intimate details about the activities that took place in Ostend that fateful weekend. There are also some emotional conversations about what he's endured since then. The details that emerge about the case from law enforcement and journalists also contribute to the sensational storytelling process.

What caused Pirotton's death still remains unclear to this day. Nonetheless, Wesphael maintains his innocence, while Pirotton is characterized as a mentally unstable addict, and as an adulteress, thanks to her affair with psychiatrist Oswald De Cock during the troubled one-year marriage. Nonetheless, Under Suspicion: Uncovering the Wesphael Case still manages to raise a few questions about how the investigation was handled. Stateside true crime fans may be curious about the story, but might cringe at its approach.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Véronique Pirotton's death was such a high-profile story in Europe. Was it the fact that her husband was a politician? The details surrounding her death? Or was it because of the way the media covered it?

  • In Under Suspicion: Uncovering the Wesphael Case, there is much discussion about who the victims are. Are the characterizations of Véronique Pirotton and Bernard Wesphael fair? Are gender stereotypes influencing the way they are portrayed in this documentary?

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