Belgium: 14-Year-Old Girl Gang-Raped By 10 Minors In A Forest

A 14-year-old girl was gang-raped by ten minors in a forest in Belgium’s West Flanders province. All the ten accused are between 11 and 16, in a case that, according to the Brussels Times, has jolted the country.

In the city of Kortrijk, the girl was allegedly lured to a bush, hidden from the houses in the neighbourhood, by her boyfriend, where she was abused by several of his friends. The girl was abused by ten minors on up to three occasions between April 2 and April 6 over the Easter holidays, reports said, adding that the youngest offender is 11 years old. Out of the ten, six had been placed in a closed institution, while the other four were under house arrest.

“The youngest suspect is 11 years old. As the suspects are so young, we are not releasing much information. However, they have all been identified and arrested and measures have been taken by the juvenile court. Our attention is now going first and foremost to the victim. She is receiving counselling,” Tom Janssens of the West Flemish public prosecutor’s office told VRT News.

A similar case reported three years ago in Ghent, East Flanders had caused a huge backlash. The case sparked a debate in the Flemish Parliament over increasing the minimum penalties for sexual offenses. Justice Minister Zuhal Demir proposed extending detention terms: up to two years for perpetrators under 14, up to five years for those aged 14-16, and up to seven years for offenders over 16.

The Belgium government amended the juvenile delinquency law in June 2021, allowing longer detention for youths as young as 12 convicted of rape and gang rape. Since 2022, juvenile offenders aged 16 and older who commit rape or gang-related violence can be tried as adults.