The Charleroi Correctional Court on Monday sentenced former lawyer Sophie Labeye to five years in prison, including a two-year suspended term.
Labeye admitted to abusing her position as a legal guardian to embezzle a total of €1.7 million from 110 individuals.
The investigation began in June 2018 with a search of Labeye’s home and office, after she was suspected of diverting funds from vulnerable individuals who could not manage their finances themselves due to medical or other reasons.
The scale of the fraud was subsequently found to be greater than initially thought.
Labeye led a luxurious lifestyle, spending the stolen money on travel, clothing, jewellery, and handbags.
She confessed, stating that she “had no choice" because her family had "become accustomed to her lifestyle” and that she "spent money on clothes to make up for her unhappy marriage.”
The prosecution demanded a five-year prison sentence.
The judge agreed, although Labeye’s lawyer argued for a fully suspended sentence.
