Local police and Aalst Mayor Christoph D'Haese have confirmed that a minor girl and her parents reported a rape during Aalst Carnival. The girl had travelled to downtown Aalst Monday night to participate in carnival festivities with friends, according to reports.
Around 2 in the morning, she moved away from the festivities to use the bathroom, said the mother of the girl. She went to Keizersplein, but before she got there, she was suddenly grabbed by a man who abused her.
Shocked, she did not immediately understand what was happening, added the mother to Flemish daily Het Nieuwsblad. The victim's parents have complained about the way the police handled the case.
Following the incident, the victim and her parents went to the police to make a statement. The parents were called back around 5:00 pm on Tuesday, when they were told that the identity of the man could not be confirmed from surveillance camera images, and they were invited back to the police station on Thursday at 5:00 pm for a new hearing.
According to the parents, that is far too late to help their daughter overcome the shock, writes Het Nieuwsblad.
The police and the prosecutor's office do not wish to comment further on this case because it concerns a minor.
The Brussels Times
