The Antwerp Criminal Court convicted a 75-year-old man from Broechem, in Flanders, for repeatedly raping his granddaughter.
The man was sentenced to twelve years in prison and a 10-year probation period. His lack of remorse was considered a serious factor in the sentencing.
The abuse of the 10-year-old girl was discovered by her father last year. He had installed an application on her mobile phone that allowed him not only to locate her, but also to listen in on her if necessary. The man had heard his father molesting his daughter.
The father of the girl reported the incident to the police. The man said that he had also been abused by the defendant when he was a child. He thought that his father only liked boys and assumed that his daughter would be safe.
The defendant admitted that he had abused his granddaughter, but placed the responsibility entirely on the girl. The public prosecutor demanded ten years in prison and five years of probation.
On Monday, the court went even further: twelve years in prison and ten years of probation. "This sentence is necessary to make it clear to the defendant, who shows no remorse and no empathy for the victim, that this cannot be tolerated in any way."
