A 55-year-old man from Neerpelt, Limburg, was accused in court of sexually abusing his then 17-year-old stepdaughter.
He faces a five-year suspended prison sentence, €25,000 in damages, and a restraining order to prevent him from contacting his stepdaughter.
The whole case came to light when the stepdaughter, who had since moved in with her boyfriend, reported the situation to the sexual violence centre in October last year.
She said that her stepfather had been sexually abusing her since she was 17, explaining that every time she asked him for money as a teenager, she had to perform sexual acts on her stepfather. The girl managed to take a few photos during the sexual acts, in which her stepfather could also be seen.
According to the stepfather, the sexual acts happened two to three times a week, but the stepdaughter was the one who initiated them.
The prosecutor was sceptical of the stepfather's explanation."It is difficult to believe that she came to you two to three times a week to ask what it would be today," said the prosecutor.
The girl told her mother, as well as a school counsellor, what had happened at the time. When the parents were called in, her mother, brothers and stepfather dismissed everything as a fabrication.
According to the accused man, his stepdaughter had lured him into a trap and was mentally unstable.
The girl needs counselling because of her stepfather's actions. In order to pay for this, and for the damage suffered and future damage, a sum of 25,000 euros was requested, in addition to the suspended prison sentence and restraining order.
The prosecutor initially wanted to seek a heavier sentence for the stepfather. "But it is not in the best interests of society for him to receive an effective prison sentence from which he would emerge worse off than when he entered," the prosecutor added.
The prosecutor demanded the most severe sentence possible that would not send him to prison but would still serve as a deterrent to ensure that he complies with the measures imposed.
The verdict in the case is expected on 2 January.
