A Brussels criminal court sentenced a man to 15 months in prison on Thursday for harassing his girlfriend’s former landlord.
The prosecution described the man’s actions as a “campaign of terror,” which included vandalism and arson, but ultimately pursued charges only for harassment via social media.
The harassment began after the man’s girlfriend was evicted from her apartment in Forest in June 2022.
Prosecutors explained that in the following months, several acts of vandalism occurred in the building, and construction workers were shot at with airguns.
"In the weeks and months following the eviction, various acts of vandalism occurred in the building," the prosecution stated back in January. "Workers entering the building were shot at with an airgun. The situation escalated with several cars set on fire in the landlord’s company parking lot, and an arson attack on his home."
While the public prosecutor suspects the man was behind these incidents, there was insufficient evidence to pursue those charges.
However, fake social media profiles were used to harass the landlord and falsely accuse him of paedophilia. Prosecutors traced these profiles to an IP address linked to the defendant, who denied any involvement.
As the man did not appear in court, he was sentenced in absentia to 15 months in prison.
