The Arlon Criminal Court has sentenced a young man born in 2004 to 160 hours of community service for raping his ex-girlfriend on 25 July 2023 in Florenville.
After an alcohol-fuelled evening out with friends, the victim and the defendant stayed in a house belonging to the parents of one of the group. Separate rooms were assigned to the former partners.
"The defendant got up and went to the bedroom where the woman was staying. She agreed to let him in, making it clear from the outset that nothing would happen," said the public prosecutor.
The woman filed a complaint a month later against the defendant, whom she described as her first love. Her lawyer has described the sequence of events in court, stating that her client had been raped.
During the hearing, the man admitted that they had had sexual relations but insisted that the woman had consented.
"My client feels that the late filing of the complaint is an act of revenge, after he ended their relationship for good," argued the defence.
While the prosecution sought a three-year prison sentence, the court sentenced him to 160 hours of community service. The defendant will also have to pay the victim €3,000 in compensation.
