The Instruction judge in the Sofie Muylle case has also applied rape, torture and assault charges, according to the Bruges branch of the Western Flanders Prosecutor’s office. This means that even if the Romanian suspect Alexandru C. is acquitted of murder, he could still get 30 years in prison.
Sofie Muylle’s body was discovered under a terrace on Knokke beach (Western Flanders) at around midday on the 22nd of January 2017. An autopsy revealed she was killed the night before. The exact circumstances surrounding her death are still unclear. She was out with her boyfriend at the time she disappeared.
Alexandru C. was arrested in Romania on the 26th June following a European arrest warrant. CCTV footage shows him wondering around the victim’s body for several hours. His DNA was also found on the body. Despite all this, he still denies killing Sofie Muylle.
The Prosecutor’s office decided to charge Alexandru C. with rape, torture and assault resulting in death back in March. The Romanian Justice department recently extradited him to Belgium to answer the new charges.
The Instruction judge decided to apply the new charges on Friday morning. They will become particularly important if the defendant Alexandru C. is acquitted of murder. A murder conviction means life in prison. The three new charges could mean 30 years in prison. The suspect faces 20 years for the rape and torture charges alone.
The Bruges Council Chamber will decide whether he should remain in custody on Tuesday morning.
The Brussels Times
