Belgian urologist Bo Coolsaet (80) has been convicted for the sexual assault and rape of a then-underage patient by the Antwerp court.
The urologist was sentenced to four years in prison, of which two years postponed. The public prosecutor's office had previously demanded acquittal due to lack of evidence, but the court ruled there was enough evidence, reports VRT NWS.
14 other women also came forward with similar experiences, but most of the complaints turned out to be time-barred or were dismissed due to a lack of evidence, reports De Morgen.
The case revolved around a now 28-year-old woman who had gone to Coolsaet to get treatment for a bladder infection and chronic pelvic pain in 2006, when she was 15 or 16.
She said Coolsaet then raped her with an instrument and also touched her breasts and buttocks. In 2015, the women filed a complaint about rape and assault.
The court now ruled that the urologist is guilty of raping and assaulting the then-underage woman. "This is reprehensible, and shocking for the whole of society," the judge said, adding that there is no doubt that the treatment was unusual and medically unsound.
The urologist will appeal against the decision.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
