A man from Turnhout, in Antwerp, was sentenced by the local criminal court to 26 months in prison and a fine of 400 euros for theft and sexual assault of a minor.
On 29 June 2023, a 13-year-old girl was walking her dog on a well-known cycle route in Turnhout. A cyclist who passed her struck up a conversation. What began as an innocent conversation about the girl's dog quickly escalated into an assault in which the man groped the girl's breasts.
Based on a description of the man and with the help of surveillance cameras in the centre of Turnhout, the police were able to identify the accused.
A few days before the assault, he had also stolen a backpack containing a laptop in Turnhout. The man had previously been convicted of raping a minor.
