This post is republished with permission from Remix News
Nine migrant minors have been found guilty over the repeated gang rape of a 14-year-old Belgian schoolgirl in Kortrijk, Belgium, but none of them will face any prison time, with sentences ranging from probation to 30 hours of community service.
The abuse took place during the Easter holidays in April 2024 in the Kabouterbos, a wooded area in Kortrijk. The victim was 14 at the time, while the suspects were aged between 11 and 16.
As we previously reported at the time the charges were brought, the girl’s then-boyfriend, who was 16, repeatedly lured her to the forest to have sex with her. When she arrived, a group of his friends, reported by Het Nieuwsblad to be of immigrant origin, ambushed her.
The victim was sexually abused over three separate incidents between April 2 and April 6. She was raped at least twice, while the assaults were reportedly filmed on smartphones and shared on Snapchat.
“The girl was loaned out and raped several times and in different ways,” a source told the Belgian newspaper at the time.
The girl eventually went to police after the third attack. Investigators identified 11 suspects, although the youngest, who was 11, was too young to appear before the juvenile court. Another suspect did not have to appear before the judge after further investigation.
The remaining nine teenagers appeared before the juvenile court and were all found guilty of rape, VRT reported on Friday. Most were ordered to complete 30 hours of mandatory community service.
The victim’s former boyfriend was also found guilty of making threats and was described as the instigator of the abuse. He had been placed in a closed institution shortly after the complaint was filed, but the juvenile judge decided not to send him back. Instead, he must comply with strict probation conditions for the next two years.
Another youth must also follow the same program on sexuality and relationships, while one of the teenagers was ordered to undergo drug treatment.
When the case first came to light in 2024, ten migrant minors were reported to have been arrested. Four were placed under house arrest, while six were detained in a young offenders’ institution. Three of those detained were later released on conditional bail after an initial court hearing.
The boyfriend’s lawyer said at the time that his client remained in custody and that the case had also affected the boy’s family.
“He understands that he is now locked up, but this is also traumatizing for him. This is also very difficult for his parents, wealthy people who have tried to give their son a good upbringing,” the lawyer said.
“The parents don’t understand how this could happen. It also strikes me that suspects of such crimes are becoming younger and younger. That is very disturbing,” the lawyer added.
Kelly Decaluwé, a lawyer defending one of the suspects believed to be of Somali origin, said at the time that she had never encountered such a case in her 15-year career.
“These are horrible facts. The question is how it is possible that these children have lost all sense of norms. What should we do with this? How are we going to solve this? It is a question that should be asked not only to the juvenile judge but also to society as a whole. I have not yet experienced such facts in my 15-year career,” Decaluwé said.
Kortrijk Mayor Vincent Van Quickenborne also expressed shock when the allegations first became public. “The public prosecutor’s office does not allow me to say anything about the facts themselves, but I had been aware of the investigation for some time. These are crappy acts for which there are no words. I say that not only as a politician but also as a father of three young children,” he said.
The victim has been awarded provisional compensation of €15,000. The juvenile judge also appointed an expert to examine her and determine further damages.
Elise Standaert, the lawyer representing the girl and her parents, said the hearing lasted an entire day and was extremely difficult for the victim because she had to see the suspects again.
“Her daily life has been completely destroyed; she is no longer the same teenager she was back then. She has gone through hell multiple times and will carry this trauma with her for the rest of her life,” she said.
Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.
More news on our radar
