Two DJs active in Ghent were acquitted on Wednesday of multiple rape charges brought against them by several women.
The Ghent criminal court stressed that the acquittal "does not mean the facts reported by the civil parties are false, but only that the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendants were guilty."
In total, nine women had filed complaints, though rarely immediately after the alleged incidents. Some were traced during the police investigation. Most described assaults that took place in contexts involving alcohol and drugs.
The two defendants had faced charges of multiple rapes, in some cases involving minors. They denied the allegations and maintained that all sexual relations had been consensual.
"The handling of this case was complicated by the complete absence of material evidence, direct and objective witnesses, and toxicological analysis of the alleged victims," the court concluded.
"In Belgian criminal law, a defendant is innocent until proven otherwise. Furthermore, any reasonable doubt must benefit the defendant," the judges underlined.
The civil parties may still appeal the ruling.
