A man, 63, faces seven years in prison for sexually abusing his step-granddaughter.
The Public Prosecutor at the Hasselt Criminal Court requested a seven-year prison sentence, a disqualification from legal services, and a five-year sentence for a 63-year-old man from Maasmechelen, who is accused of sexually assaulting his underage step-granddaughter and, allegedly, his own son when he was still a child.
The man has candidly confessed to his inappropriate actions and expressed his regret to the step-granddaughter's mother, claiming he had realised that the impact of his actions " will be lifelong" for the victim.
A complaint was filed against the defendant on 13 September 2023. He was then interrogated and subsequently arrested and detained.
After three months in prison, he could have been given an ankle monitor, but he refused because it would also have temporarily suspended his supervision. He spent a total of nine months in pretrial detention.
He had also sexually abused his son at the age of twelve. The investigation revealed stories from other victims of abuse dating back to the 1980s, but the Public Prosecutor's Office did not prosecute him due to insufficient incriminating evidence.
The girl's mother filed a civil suit for €7,500 in damages and €20,000 for child support.
She read a letter in which she blamed herself for leaving her child with the defendant and his wife, while the child should have found protection and safety there.
The defence asked the court to consider a severe sentence, but with a postponed sentence subject to probation. The lawyer emphasised that the forensic psychiatrist had assessed the risk of recidivism as low.
The court will deliver its verdict on 13 March.
