A medical student found guilty of raping a woman walked free from court in Belgium – without punishment – because of his ‘youth and talent’.
The Leuven court justified its decision by citing the 24-year-old’s future as a gynecologist, sparking accusations that the legal system protects rapists over victims.
‘It is undeniable that he crossed the line of what is acceptable but he is still young,’ the judge said.
The court also said that if the man – who has not been named in Belgium media – is jailed, he would later find it hard to get a job as a gynecologist, which is his field of study.
The attack happened after a Halloween party at a student bar in November 2023.
Suddenly, the victim lost consciousness of her surroundings. It is not clear whether or not she had been drugged.
Last month, her lawyer assured the court: ‘She stumbled and was unable to stand up on her own two feet.
‘She needed support to prevent her from falling down.’
On the pretence of helping her, the attacker took her back to his student accommodation, where he raped her.
The court acknowledged the victim was ‘in no condition to consent’ and deemed the crime ‘serious and unacceptable.’
But the judge granted the man a suspended sentence, citing his career potential and clean record.
Comparisons are already being drawn to similar cases in which attackersreceived lenient sentences due to their perceived potential.
The 2016 Brock Turner case in the US, in which a Stanford swimmer was handed just six months for sexual assault, is now being referenced as one of the examples.
There are warnings that such rulings will send the message that somehow ‘talent’ can outweigh sexual abuse, leaving more and more victims without justice.
