A Charleroi court heard on Thursday that the prosecution is seeking an eight-year prison sentence for a man accused of raping a sex worker last August. The man denies the charge.
The victim went to the Sexual Violence Support Centre in Charleroi on 8 August 2024 to report a rape incident. She said she had no fixed address and sometimes offered sexual services.
The victim explained that she had been approached by the man. “She initially followed him but changed her mind because she found him strange,” the prosecution stated.
The woman claimed she was assaulted, thrown to the ground, lost consciousness, then woke up during the rape. The suspect’s DNA was found on a discarded tissue, identifying him as the alleged attacker.
The prosecution has requested an eight-year prison term, highlighting the man’s previous convictions, which include a four-year sentence for two attempted rapes and a 2017 conviction by the Mons Appeal Court for two acts of indecency.
“The psychiatric evaluation is concerning, and so is the risk of re-offending; the defendant poses a danger to society,” the deputy public prosecutor said, while the defence argued for acquittal.
The verdict is expected on 7 August.
