Prosecutors in Liège have upheld their request for a six-year prison sentence and five years of post-release supervision for a 50-year-old PE teacher accused of raping two vulnerable pupils at a school in the city centre.
The case was heard on Friday before Liège Criminal Court. The defendant is accused of abusing two girls who were both described as vulnerable. According to the youth protection service, the man imposed an unhealthy relationship on a first girl, who was 13 when the abuse began. He claimed he was acting in a protective role, but prosecutors say he raped her and sexually assaulted her.
A second pupil, aged 15 and also considered vulnerable, was allegedly subjected to similar abuse.
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After the allegations emerged, the defendant initially struggled to acknowledge that his behaviour was inappropriate. He portrayed himself as the victim, claiming the girls had taken advantage of his weaknesses.
He was later assessed by a specialist service for the treatment of sex offenders. Prosecutors said he has since come to recognise his distorted view of his relationships with the girls and the criminal nature of his actions.
The prosecution has maintained its demand for a six-year jail term, along with a five-year period during which he would remain at the disposal of the sentence enforcement court. The defence asked the court to impose a suspended sentence with probation conditions. Judgment is due on 11 December.
