The Verviers Criminal Court has sentenced a 66-year-old man to a four-and-a-half-year suspended sentence for the rape of a 13-year-old girl.The prosecution had requested an eight-year prison sentence, but the court decided a suspended probationary sentence was appropriate.
The victim frequented the defendant's home with other children from her neighbourhood.
She had been placed by the courts with her grandmother, a neighbour of the suspect, due to the violent atmosphere in her parents' home.
The young woman looked after the defendant's grandchildren, including a girl her own age with whom she had become friends. She considered the defendant her "grandpa".
Last September, the victim's psychologist received a call from the victim, who was in tears. She revealed that she had been raped by the defendant over a period of ten months.
In his defence, the defendant claimed to have been tricked by the victim and to have experienced no sexual desire for 18 years due to his impotence.
The defence relied on expert reports recommending psychological counselling for the defendant. This helped them build a case for a suspended sentence.
The court agreed with the defendant, while finding him guilty of rape.
In Belgium, a "suspended probationary sentence" means that a prison sentence is imposed, but its execution is suspended under certain conditions, including compliance with probationary monitoring.
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Man, 66, avoids prison after raping 13-year-old girl
Verviers Palace of Justice
Credit: Belga/Koen Blanckaert
