A man in his 30s was sentenced by the Brussels correctional court on Friday to 30 months' imprisonment with probation for violating the sexual integrity of his adopted daughter.
The man from Overijse, in Flanders, had showered with his adopted daughter and given her massages while she was naked, even though the girl had indicated she did not consent to this.
He had been in a relationship with the girl's mother for a dozen years and had adopted her, but in January 2022, the couple separated. They continued to live in the same home, however.
In mid-April 2022, the mother filed a complaint because her then 13-year-old daughter had stated that her adoptive father had groped her.
"According to the girl, he had given her massages several times from December 2019 while she was naked and her mother was not at home," the Prosecutor's Office said.
The man also allegedly groped the young girl in bed and showered with her during a stay at the coast. "He claims that the showering was done together to save water and energy, and that he assumed she liked the massages, but from the messages exchanged between the two, it appears that the girl clearly indicated that she did not appreciate these acts," the Prosecutor's Office added.
"We do not dispute the violation of sexual integrity, but my client did not commit these acts to satisfy his sexual appetites," the defence side echoed. "This is a mentally challenged man who has been blind to the fact that he was no longer dealing with a child, but with a growing adolescent who was setting her boundaries."
