By In a deeply disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through Belgium, prosecutors have launched an investigation into the alleged gang rape of a 14-year-old girl by ten minors in a wooded area known as Kabouterbos in Kortrijk, West Flanders.
The victim, whose identity remains protected, was reportedly lured into the forest by her teenage boyfriend during the Easter school break, where she was subjected to a brutal sexual assault.
According to local reports, the boyfriend initially attacked the young girl before allegedly allowing several other boys to participate in the sexual assault.
The group, shockingly, filmed the attack on their smartphones and shared the footage on social media platforms.
The ages of the ten suspected perpetrators range from 11 to 16, highlighting the alarming nature of the crime.
Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblad reported that the suspects were believed to be “young people of immigrant origin” and that six of them had been placed in a closed institution, while the remaining four were put under house arrest.
The West Flanders prosecutor’s office has conducted the investigation with the utmost secrecy to protect the identities of those involved and prevent further trauma to the victim and her family.
Sources close to the investigation, as reported by Nieuwsblad, revealed that the alleged perpetrators exhibited “reprehensible behavior” and “revenge-mongering facts,” indicating a “complete lack of sense of norms.” One lawyer representing a suspect expressed shock, stating, “I have never experienced this in my career.”
The young victim is believed to have endured two days of torment in the forest, where she was raped at least twice and subjected to abuse by the gang of minors.
The group reportedly took turns assaulting the girl, with all participating “to a greater or lesser extent,” according to Nieuwsblad. Disturbingly, none of the group members intervened to stop the abuse.
Tom Janssens, a representative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, confirmed the arrest of ten minors but refrained from disclosing much information about their identities due to their young age.
The six minors placed in an institution were scheduled to appear in juvenile court on Wednesday afternoon, with one 13-year-old already released on conditions.
Kortrijk mayor Vincent Van Quickenborne expressed his shock upon learning about the case, which he had been aware of “for some time” behind closed doors. “These are cra*py acts for which there are no words. I say that not only as a politician, but also as a father of 3 young children,” he stated.
Youth lawyer Kelly Decaluwé, representing one of the suspects, emphasized the need for society as a whole to address the issue of minors losing their sense of norms. “These are horrible facts,” Decaluwé said. “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?”
The criminal age of responsibility in Belgium is 18, meaning the suspected abusers will likely be placed in youth rehabilitation programs.
However, given the exceptional nature of the case, the 16-year-old suspect could potentially be tried under adult criminal law. The victim is receiving specialized support to cope with the trauma of her ordeal.
This case comes just three years after a similarly horrific incident in Ghent, East Flanders, where a 14-year-old girl was raped by a group of young men aged 14 to 19 in a cemetery.
The attack was filmed and shared on social media, and the victim later took her own life. The tragedy sparked a national debate about juvenile delinquency laws and penalties for sexual offenses, leading to a tightening of the juvenile delinquency law in Belgium.
East Flanders’s Justice Minister Zuhal Demir, who advocated for stricter laws, emphasized the need for parental accountability in such cases. “You simply cannot deal with this kind of violence with lower [sentences],” she told The Brussels Times.
“Such [perpetrators] must be taken off the streets and their parents must be held accountable. Juvenile judges should make more and full use of the recent tightening of juvenile delinquency law.”
As the investigation unfolds and the nation grapples with the aftermath of this horrific crime, the focus remains on seeking justice for the young victim and addressing the underlying societal issues that contribute to such heinous acts.
Credit: DailyMail.com
