Three men have been sentenced to five years in prison for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old during her first night out as transgender, Antwerp's correctional court on ruled Thursday, according to reports.
The 17-year-old was reportedly raped by the three men, aged 24, 25 and 34 after she had gone out with friends to an Antwerp nightclub.
When the woman stepped outside because she was feeling unwell, the 34-year-old approached her, after he had already spent parts of the evening harassing her, according to Het Nieuwsblad.
The three men forced their victim into a cab and took her to the 24-year-old's apartment, where the victim said they took turns raping her.
According to the Dutch-language news site, the woman managed to escape after biting one of her attackers in the genitals.
The defendants initially denied any involvement in the attack and denied going to the nightclub on the night of the events.
When authorities found DNA traces in the victim which matched the attackers', they said the victim had given them consent, according to HLN.
The court on Thursday sentenced the three men to five years in prison and issued an arrest warrant for the two oldest ones. Additionally, the court ordered them to pay €5,500 in compensation to their victim.
The Brussels Times
