Two Brussels rappers are suspected of being part of a criminal gang recently dismantled and arrested for sexually exploiting an underage French girl, whom they "bought" for €2,000.
Rappers Le You and Aze2dine are among the seven people targetted by an arrest warrant after police discovered the group had forced a French minor into prostitution after she ran away from home with her boyfriend, RTBF reports.
Police on Wednesday said the unidentified victim had been found and rescued from a house in Uccle, where she was being imprisoned and prostituted against her will by the gang, who arranged nonconsensual sexual encounters through the escort website quartierrouge.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Lqtr9DgcDY
"The Brussels public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into human trafficking and sexual exploitation and prostitution of a minor," spokesperson Denis Goeman said.
"The investigation could be quickly completed and we were able to rescue this young girl from the clutches of this gang, which was dismantled," he added.
The minor reportedly ran away from home and came to Belgium with her boyfriend, who handed her over to the gang against a €2,000 payment.
Le You and Aze2dine, whose real names are Younes Z. and Azeddine A.O., encountered success via YouTube, where a music video in which they collaborate totals over 300,000 views.
The public prosecutor's office said the gang, which included men and women, all over the age of 18, could face years-long prison sentences, adding that it was currently investigating whether there were other victims of the criminal gang.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
