Bilzen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A Belgian court sentenced a 24-year-old Dutch man from Bilzen to suspended imprisonment on Thursday because of “intimate terrorism” as prosecutors stated, when the man’s girlfriend testified that she was physically abused with her baby in her arms, who she had to let down to be hit herself. In Tongeren criminal court he received 20 months of suspended jail time, a fine of 1,000 euros and 3,500 euros in damages.
What exactly happened in this case?
The couple met on a dating site about two years ago and soon had a son together, but their relationship quickly became defined by physical violence, controlling behaviour and death threats. According to testimony and evidence presented in court, the man repeatedly assaulted his girlfriend, including during her pregnancy, when the violence allegedly triggered premature contractions and led to hospitalisation. The abuse did not stop after the baby was born; instead, it continued in the postpartum period, with the victim describing incidents where she was hit while cradling the infant.
Her lawyer told the court that the woman was
“beaten even while holding her baby, and had to put the baby aside to take the blows,”
a line that became central to media coverage of the case. The lawyer’s statement underscored the terrifying reality that the mother faced: choosing between protecting her newborn and shielding herself from further injury.
How did the abuse unfold over time?
It came out during the hearing that there were extreme threats and abuse of power involved in the man’s acts of violence. According to the prosecution, the man said that he would rape, kill, and bury the woman in the Ardennes, statements which were later discovered to have been stored on his cell phone and labeled as “intimate terror” by the prosecution. During pregnancy, he apparently restricted access of other people when she went for medical consultations so she could not discuss anything with her doctors. In May 2026, things finally got too much for the woman. Having been pulled by the hair, she ran away naked to her neighbor’s house and to the police.
In a letter read aloud in court, she wrote:
“No one should have to choose between the love of their life and their life. But I feared for my life and the future of our son.”
Her words captured the emotional conflict many victims face when deciding whether to report a partner who is also the parent of their child.
What sentence did the Tongeren court impose?
He received on 27 August 2026 in the criminal court of Tongeren an alternative sentence of 20 months’ imprisonment, which is conditional because he won’t have to go straight to jail for those 20 months but he will be subject to probation requirements for five years. The judge has also said that failing to meet those requirements can trigger the imposition of his custodial sentence.
Besides having to serve his suspended sentence, the man also has to pay a €1,000 fine in favour of the State and another €3,500 in compensations to his former partner. As one of the measures imposed under probation, he has to participate in training sessions regarding aggression and intrafamilial violence. This is meant to prevent him from committing any crimes again in the future. The judge has even told him that “he was given a chance.”
Why was the sentence suspended rather than immediate?
Although there was no disagreement about the facts, the defence insisted that the defendant “is determined to work on himself” and asked for a suspended sentence or probation as a way of rehabilitating him. Even as the prosecution stressed the gravity of the actions of the individual concerned and the need to understand his behavior, there were no objections raised to a suspended sentence coupled with therapy and supervision. Belgian courts have been known to use suspended sentences in domestic violence cases which require behavioral change on the part of the offender.
Under Belgian law, violence between partners or cohabitants is treated more severely, with minimum prison terms automatically doubled for many assault offences when committed against a current or former partner. Even so, judges retain discretion to suspend sentences where they believe rehabilitation and monitoring can protect the victim and prevent future harm.
