The ex-partner and brother of a victim stood trial in the Mechelen correctional court on charges of extortion and pimping.
The incidents occurred between 4 August 2024 and 19 July 2025. The ex-partner of the victim, with whom he shares a daughter, was previously convicted multiple times for violence against the same woman. For him, the prosecution requested a sentence of six years in prison.
The brother of the victim, who did not attend the trial, faced a demand for three years of imprisonment.
The victim worked as a sex worker to support her children while her ex-partner was under limited detention, meaning he was allowed occasional periods outside prison. According to statements, during these moments, he pressured her to hand over her earnings.
Prosecutors stated that the man demanded increasingly larger sums, forcing the victim to accept more clients. At one point, he allegedly insisted that after 23:00 payments be transferred directly to his bank account to expedite his access to money.
The brother was also implicated in the exploitation. Initially acting as an intermediary, he allegedly began taking large amounts of money from the victim for himself.
Both men denied being pimps, but the prosecution argued that evidence of their exploitative roles was compelling.
"This is a deeply troubling case where two men took advantage of the vulnerable situation the woman was in,” said the prosecutor. A fine of €4,000 was also requested alongside the sentences, as well as the confiscation of €53,000, which the ex-partner reportedly extorted from the victim.
The ex-partner pleaded not guilty, claiming the victim was never coerced into prostitution or forced to surrender her earnings. His lawyer suggested that the victim fabricated the story when undisclosed income from sex work was uncovered.
The brother was absent from trial proceedings. A court ruling is scheduled for early June.
