The Antwerp Criminal Court sentenced Serhat Y. to 225 hours of community service and a fine of €800 for kidnapping and assaulting a man he was told had raped his then fiancée.
Serhat Y. and the victim knew each other from their school days. When the defendant saw him standing at a traffic light in Willebroek on 24 October, he wanted to hear from him whether what his fiancée had told him was true.
Serhat Y. got his attention by flashing his headlights. When the victim approached the car, he asked him to get in. The man refused and was punched in the face.
A fight ensued, and Serhat Y. dragged the victim into the car. The man later stated that he was beaten unconscious with an iron bar, but the defendant denied this.
When the victim woke up, he found himself in a garage in Boom, where he was beaten again. He was then driven to Rumst, where he was released. His brother was notified and took him to the hospital.
The accused stated that he had been carried away by his fiancée's story and had lost control. He himself was shocked by the injuries he had inflicted. The defendant immediately regretted his actions and turned himself in to the police.
Serhat Y. had already been convicted several times and was driving without a licence at the time of the incident.
The defence did not contest the facts and argued for a community service order. His solicitor said that the defendant was no longer engaged and that the issues with the victim had been resolved.
