The detention of a 23-year-old male teacher who was arrested for the suspected sexual assault of a girl (4) in a school in Mechelen will be extended by one month, the Mechelen chamber council decided on Tuesday.
Members of the Mechelen-Willebroek police zone arrested the 23-year-old teacher on Friday at the school where the teacher was working temporarily, the day after the parents of the 4-year-old girl filed a complaint with the police.
According to the first statements made by the young child, who is the daughter of another teacher at the school, she had to stay after Thursday's classes finished to help with cleaning up. It was then that the assault took place, with the teacher revealing his penis to the girl and asking her to touch it, Nieuwsblad explains.
After his arrest on Friday, investigators immediately conducted a search in the home of the 23-year-old in Keerbergen in Flemish Brabant. Police took the mans laptop and discovered child pornography on the device. How the man obtained the pornography is being investigated.
After spending two days in prison, the 23-year-old came before the Mechelen council chamber on Tuesday. The suspect partially confessed to the crimes, HLN confirms.
“My client has made confessions and realises that he has made a serious mistake. He has done a lot of damage to the victim, the family of the child, the school and also his family," the teacher's lawyer, Bart Vanmarcke, explained.
"It may sound strange, but the fact that the facts have come to light was actually a relief for him. He now hopes that work can be done on tackling his problem," Vanmarcke added.
Although Vanmarcke, requested release for the 23-year-old man under electronic supervision, using an ankle bracelet, the chairman of the Mechelen chamber council decided against accepting the request and instead extended the arrest of the teacher by one month.
Evie McCullough
The Brussels Times
