A 21-year-old man from Bruges has agreed to undergo chemical castration as part of his sentence in a rape case involving a 16-year-old girl, and is to stand trial for a second sexual assault case in June 2027.
He will receive a suspended prison sentence of five years for the rape, when he forced the girl to have sex with him and spread nude images of her on social media at the start of 2026. Among the conditions are a fine, a restraining order, and voluntarily undergoing a chemical castration treatment. If any of the conditions are broken, the man will be sent to prison.
He will have to take medication to lower his testosterone levels and chemically lower his sex drive. A court may only impose that sanction if the convicted person consents to it.
During the investigation, police discovered repeated attempts by the man to contact and meet up with several other minors. A forensic psychiatrist described him as "intellectually disabled and hypersexual, with a high risk of reoffending" after evaluating him.
The two had met on social media, where he lied about his age, claiming to be 18. He eventually convinced her to send him nude photos and meet up in person.
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The victim's lawyer stated that the man repeatedly initiated sex while his client asked him to stop. "In the end, they did have sex, as my client felt she had no way out. He also shared her nude photos on social media, which caused her immense trauma."
While the defence acknowledges that the man has deep-rooted issues and needs help, they claim that the victim did consent to having sex. Due to her age, she is legally unable to consent under these circumstances.
A second case will be heard against him in June of 2027 for the sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl.
