A 23-year-old man from Antwerp appeared in the city's criminal court on Monday to answer for raping a 15-year-old girl he met the day before via Snapchat. The prosecutor has requested a 30-month suspended prison sentence.
The victim was added to Snapchat by the defendant, Hamza EH, on April 20, 2023. They started a conversation, in which he posed as an 18-year-old. The girl said her birthday was the following day and wanted to meet him.
They met the next day in a park in Antwerp. The girl later told police that the defendant pushed her against a tree and started kissing her. She pushed him away, but Hamza EH persisted and allegedly raped her. The girl walked away, but he followed her and told her not to go to the police.
He bought her a drink and asked if she was taking the pill. The girl informed her father the next day, and a report was filed.
Hamza EH admitted to having sex with the girl, but but claims it was with her consent. He also filmed the incident, and the video showed no resistance whatsoever. Three hours later, they recorded a TikTok dance together.
“However, the girl was under 16, so legally she could not have given her consent, even though there is some doubt about it,” the prosecutor stated. Hamza EH stated during the investigation that he had not asked her age. At the hearing, he told the court that he had and that she had said she was of legal age. He felt trapped because she had lied about her age.
The presiding judge pointed out to him that he had also lied about his age. “The court will now have to decide whether you should have known she was under 16. But it’s certainly not a good idea to have sex in a park with a girl you met the day before on Snapchat. You have to be careful with such things. If you have any doubt about her age, it’s better not to do it, or you will suffer the consequences.”
The verdict will be delivered on 2 February .
