A senior Brussels police official has been placed under formal investigation after he was accused of abusing his position to obtain sexual favours from "dozens" of female colleagues.
The man, who is the Chief Inspector of the Brussels-West Police Zone, is alleged to have forced co-workers to perform oral sex on him and indulge his sadomasochistic sexual fetishes both at home and at the office.
Anonymous sources described as being "close to the case" also claim that the 31-year-old man explicitly demanded that colleagues have sex with him in exchange for work benefits.
"He is suspected of having used the same modus operandi to manipulate his alleged victims who were typically aspiring police officers on probation and his subordinates," the sources told Sudinfo.
"He allegedly abused his powerful position to obtain sexual favours – for example, a blowjob in exchange for a day off – and forced them little by little to engage in non-consensual sadomasochistic practices that could amount to rape."
A series of scandals
The allegations first came to light after two of the women made formal statements to the Belgian authorities about their experiences. This led to the man being arrested and his home searched by police officers from the Computer Crime and General Inspection Units.
"The statements of some of his alleged victims really make him appear as a monstrous pervert," the sources noted.
The man has since been released pending the outcome of the investigation. He has not been formally suspended from his position, but is instead officially now on sick leave.
A spokesperson for the Brussels-West Police Zone told the Gazet van Antwerpen that they "cannot say anything" about the story other than that "in addition to a judicial investigation, there is also an ongoing administrative investigation".
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The policeman's lawyer also refused to comment on the affair, telling Sudinfo: "It's much too early, the investigation has only just begun."
This is not the first time that officials from the Brussels-West Police Zone have been embroiled in a major scandal over the past few months.
In June, police officers from the unit were involved in a fight with a group of around 40 teenagers from a secondary school in Molenbeek while kayaking down the Lesse river near Dinant. The officers were also accused of racially abusing the children.
Other police units have also been involved in major scandals over the past year. In March, officers from an elite unit of the Belgian Federal Police were suspended after participating in two unauthorised drug and alcohol-fuelled parties in which sexual acts were also allegedly performed.
