Sixty-year-old from Putte faces four years in prison for sexual abuse of vulnerable woman
A 60-year-old man from Putte stands trial for rape and sexual assault of an adult woman with the mental age of a 10-year-old child. The victim was allegedly lured to his home under false pretences.
Sixty-year-old from Putte faces four years in prison for sexual abuse of vulnerable woman
A four-year prison sentence is being sought against a man in his sixties from Putte who stands trial for sexual abuse of a vulnerable woman. The victim, an adult who identifies as a man but has the intellectual age of a ten-year-old child, filed a complaint with the police together with her parents in mid-November last year.
The suspect picked up the woman with the promise that they would go to the fair in Bonheiden. Instead of visiting the carnival, they ended up at the man's home in Putte. There he persuaded the victim to go into the bedroom for a massage. The woman undressed down to her underwear, but was eventually made to remove that as well. The man rubbed her buttocks, turned her over and touched her genitals, something she did not want.
When the victim indicated that she did not like it, the man stopped. Shortly after, he produced erotic toys and tried to insert them into her. He then undressed himself and demanded that the woman look at and touch his genitals. During the incident, the victim suffered an epileptic seizure, which caused the man to stop in alarm. When dropping her off, he asked for her silence and claimed that they were friends.
The public prosecutor's office, represented by prosecutor Nele Van Looy, emphasised that the defendant had abused a position of trust and the woman's vulnerable mental state. Previous convictions for sexual offences involving a minor also weighed against him. According to the prosecutor, the lack of insight into his guilt and problems justifies a severe sentence.
Defence lawyer Herman Haegemans pleaded for acquittal. His client denies the allegations. According to the defence, DNA traces provided no evidence of penetration. The defence counsel did acknowledge that conversations about sex toys prior to the visit were unwise. The judge will deliver its ruling on 15 July.
Source: Het Nieuwsblad – https://www.nieuwsblad.be/regio/antwerpen/rivierenland/putte/man-60-staat-terecht-voor-misbruik-van-persoon-met-mentale-leeftijd-van-10-jaar-naar-slaapkamer-gelokt-voor-massage-maar-daar-verkracht/158443345.html
Source: Nieuwsblad