Belgium Outraged by Judicial Verdict

A gynaecology student was found guilty of abusing a young woman but not sentenced. This verdict appears lenient to many Belgians. Despite the suspension of the sentence, he was sanctioned by his university.

It is a sordid case that is creating outrage on social media in Belgium and has sparked indignant protests in Ghent and Leuven, recalling the scourge of violence against women. The facts: a 24-year-old gynaecology student escaped sentencing after taking advantage of a young medical student who was drunk and had lost consciousness during a Halloween party. He was found guilty of rape and sexual assault by the Leuven correctional court. But the judge let him walk free, considering that the conviction was sufficient and his social life should not be disrupted due to his "young age, clean criminal record, and favourable character". This suspension of the sentence is not to the liking of the Public Prosecutor's Office, which has appealed. In the meantime, the University of Leuven had already suspended the student once the judgment was publicly announced. The hospital where the student was an intern did the same.

(Olivier Duquesne – Source: RTBF with Belga – Picture: © picture alliance / Zoonar | Werner Lerooy)