Child rapist for whom the law was changed gets a reduced sentence | Antwerp
Antwerp/RijkevorselAntwerp resident RH, currently 21 years old, has been given a reduced professional sentence in the court for the rape of a 16-year-old girl from Rijkevorsel. Instead of 5 years effective next to the Court, the sentence to 2 years effective and 3 years essential. The young man RH was only 16 years old at the time of the facts. A change in the law allowed him to be tried as an adult at the last minute.
The rape of the 16-year-old girl from Rijkevorsel dates back to April 2, 2017. The girl had met a 16-year-old Afghan boy on social media with whom she met in Antwerp. Together with a 19-year-old friend of the boy who was drunk that evening, he emptied a bottle of vodka at the pontoon of the Antwerpse Steen.
When X. indicated that she had to go to a toilet, RH took her to that friend’s apartment. He insisted on sex, which slowed the girl down. He persisted anyway and raped her. When she wanted to flee, the front door turned out to be locked. Afterwards, 19-year-old AS also went ahead and the girl was raped a second time.
RH was arrested a month later. As a minor he ended up in the closed institution De Hutten in Mol for six months and was released again. Just in that period, the Flemish parliament had amended the legislation on the ‘delivery of minors’. As a result, RH threatened to slip through the net, but a quick amendment to the decree ensured that he could still be tried as a perennial.
The first instance court sentenced RH in April 2022 with five years of effective closure. His multi-year friend AS had already received the same punishment in 2018.
Terms agreed
RH appealed and chose a new lawyer. Criminal lawyer Sam Vlaminck has told the judges of his client that he is on the right track five years after the facts, is doing very well in his work and will be psychologically guided.
The Court took the progress into account in its judgment. RH gets five years in prison, but only has to serve two years. The rest of his sentence is conditional. One of them is to follow such psychological guidance on how to deal with relationships. RH is also disbarred from his civil rights for five years.
The victim and her family followed the case as spectators. Defendant RH had only appealed in criminal matters. Their lawyer was satisfied afterwards with the balanced and well-founded arrest.
Attorney Christian Clement: “The presence of my clients in court has not gone unnoticed. Even today, more than 5 years later, the Court described the facts that my client had to undergo as ‘totally unacceptable’ and was still heavily affected by the violence used by the suspects at the time. “
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.