A former police officer has been sentenced to a five-year suspended prison sentence for rape and sexual assault against two young women in February 2021.
The Brussels criminal court confirmed the charges of rape for one victim and sexual assault for the other, relying on a medical report from the Sexual Violence Support Centre, which was issued after one of the victims filed her complaint.
The court did not consider aggravating circumstances, concluding that there was "insufficient evidence" to prove the perpetrator used his position as a police officer in the offences.
The suspension of the sentence was granted exceptionally, with the court emphasising that therapy was more beneficial for rehabilitation than imprisonment.
The convicted individual is required to continue treatment with a therapist informed about the judgement and participate in the “Triangle” programme, aimed at holding sexual offenders accountable.
“You have an opportunity, make use of it,” said the court president, expressing concern over the convict’s ongoing difficulty in acknowledging his actions more than four years after the crimes.
