The Office of the Public Prosecutor has asked the Nivelles Criminal Court to impose a six-year sentence on a man from La Louvière, Walloon Brabant, accused of raping a young woman on the night of 12 to 13 December 2024 in Louvain-la-Neuve.
The attack occurred behind the Esplanade as the victim was walking in the street. The accused, who is about 27, followed her, grabbed her by the shoulders, and forced her against a wall to touch and kiss her. When the woman resisted, he pushed her to the ground and forced her to perform oral sex.
The victim managed to get up, but the man punched her, breaking one of her teeth. Her cries for help alerted a passer-by, who intervened, scaring off the aggressor, who fled, leaving one of his shoes behind.
By morning, another incident was reported in the Bruyères neighbourhood, where a woman alerted the police about an exhibitionist near her car. Officers found a shoe matching the one left at the scene of the assault.
Following a public appeal for witnesses, the man from La Louvière was identified and arrested in March 2025. DNA evidence from the victim and the shoes confirmed his involvement.
The prosecution described the accused as displaying predatory behaviour and requested a six-year prison sentence.
The defendant claims he was intoxicated and had taken a pill given to him by a stranger in a bar that night. He claims he has no memory of the events.
The court is scheduled to deliver its verdict on 24 November.
