The trial of the company responsible for the website RichMeetBeautiful, and its boss, began on Friday at 9.00 a.m., before the 47th division of the Brussels Criminal Court. The site had been spoken of, with adverts disseminated across the Free University of Brussels (“ULB”), in September 2017. It offered female students the chance to be supported by older and wealthier men.
The company which owns the website RichMeetBeautiful, Digisec Media Limited Sprl, and its owner, Sigurd V., had criminal proceedings taken against them before the Brussels Criminal Court by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, based upon three offences. These were attempted sexual immorality or prostitution of others, publicity encouraging sexual immorality or prostitution of others, and lastly breaching the law relating to the fight against sexism in public.
In September 2017, the dating site RichMeetBeautiful had given rise to widespread reaction, following a publicity campaign on the ULB campuses. The campaign encouraged female students, aged 18 to 26, called “sugar babies”, to be supported by middle-aged and comfortably-off men, “sugar daddies”, by meeting them on the website RichMeetBeautiful.
Several Brussels communes had then prohibited its display in public. Some Brussels elected representives had lodged a complaint with the Jury of Ethical Advertising and requested the intervention of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Last March, the Belgian courts also ordered that the site be blocked by Belgian Internet Service Providers.
The Brussels Times
