The Brussels Court of Appeals on Wednesday condemned Jelle Frenken, the man who sprinkled sulfuric acid on a worker from Delhaize, to an 18-year prison sentence for torture. Jelle Frenken was sentenced in October to an 18-year prison sentence and to a 10-year sentencing court, by the Brussels Criminal Court, for attempted murder. The Court of Appeal held that it was torture.
Jelle Frenken threw sulfuric acid on Marina Tijssen on February 20, 2015 in the Delhaize on Museumstraat in Antwerp. The individual was blackmailing the branch and threatening to attack one of the shops for months. He had been preparing his misdeeds since his dismissal because of his financial problems.
The aggressor then fled before being arrested by the French police on the night of 5 to 6 March 2015 during a routine check in the Paris region. He was then handed over to the Belgian authorities.
The court held that Mr Frenken was guilty of blackmail, attempted extortion and attempted murder and had no purpose other than to kill the victim. Before the Court of Appeal, the defence raised doubts about the intention to kill. The civil party and the Attorney General have called on the court to confirm the conviction for attempted murder.
The Court of Appeal finally followed the reasoning of the defence and sentenced Jelle Frenken for torture.
"It is of little importance to me that he was sentenced for torture and not for attempted murder", the victim reacted after the hearing. "It is the punishment that is important to me, I am glad that it is not more lenient. This man has no place in society, his act is terrible and I remain a victim, but I hope to be able to put this behind me."
"I think the court has brought an important legal nuance to light", commented Sven Mary, a lawyer for Jelle Frenken. "The term torture seems to me to be more relevant to the facts than that of attempted murder. The fact that the court is also accessible to my client means that the prospect of reintegration into society within a foreseeable time is possible.
The Brussels Times
