A man who spent nine years in jail for raping a student in 2010 was released without any follow-ups, allowing him to strike again.
The 41-year-old "Robbie G." allegedly tried to pull a 17-year-old from her bicycle in the Flemish village Beerse, but she managed to escape. The man quickly emerged as a suspect and has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a minor and possession of child pornographic material, De Standaard reported.
The victim reported the incident that same night and recognised her attacker when the police presented her with photos of the suspected perpetrators. His car was also spotted on camera footage around the time and place of the incident.
‘Campus rapist’
It had only been a year and a half since G. had served his full nine-year prison sentence for raping a student in 2010, which earned him the nickname “campus rapist”.
Near the Groenenborger campus, he dragged a Dutch student into the bushes, where he taped her mouth shut, tied her hands and threatened her with a knife. After taking nude photos of her, he raped her several times.
He also attempted to assault others, including students, but they managed to escape. The serial offender was already known to police for violent robbery and exhibitionism; he was identified by CCTV images and a DNA match.
No follow-ups
After the rape, a psychiatrist sentenced G. to long-term treatment in an institution, on top of which the public prosecutor demanded a five-year arraignment, but the court disagreed.
In 2020, he returned to society without any follow-ups or further conditions, which allowed him to strike again just a year and a half after his release.
The lawyer who defended the Dutch student who was victim, Walter Damen, said “returning to society unaccompanied should not have been an option" and urged lawmakers to address the matter.
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This is not the first incident in Belgium where convicted sex offenders have been able to strike again. 23-year-old student Julie Van Espen was raped and murdered in 2019 by a man who had already served two previous rape convictions.
That led to severe criticism of the justice system, after which it took more than two years for suspect Steve Bakelmans (41) to appear in front of a jury.
Therapy is a ‘no-brainer’
To minimise relapses of sexual offences, Flanders is considering a separate section for sex offenders in prisons. Flemish Justice Minister Zuhal Demir has been at the forefront of the discussion, speaking out about the desperate need for therapy for sex offenders in prison.
Research carried out by two Belgian universities showed that of the 539 sex offenders in Flemish and Brussels prisons last year, 46% had received a formal psychiatric diagnosis.
“Research shows that sex offenders are 37% less likely to relapse after treatment,” said Demir. “With the available knowledge in my pocket, it is an absolute no-brainer for me to make offender therapy mandatory during detention.”
Earlier this week, Demir also took to Twitter saying the four-year prison sentence for a 19-year-old convicted of rape was “too low”. The man was handed the sentence for the rape of a pregnant woman.
