Bornem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The district court in Bornem sentenced a 44-year-old male to probation and eight months in prison following his distribution of intimate photos of his neighbour. The man spotted his neighbour inthe summer 2023 standing near the window while wearing a T-shirt that revealed his body and wearing only underwear.
A 44-year-old Bornem resident received an 8-month prison term with probation after sharing inappropriate pictures of his neighboring woman. During the summer of 2023 the man caught his neighbor partially exposed through an open window while she stood there wearing a transparent T-shirt together with underpants. He took several pictures of her that appeared across the web. No prison term applies when the man obtains psychological treatment for his psychosocial issues.
The summer of 2023 brought the man occasion to notice his neighbor through an open window while she wore a see-through T-shirt and underwear. He took pictures of her before sharing them with another neighbor who distributed them to their friend.
A few days later, the woman was approached in a café, where someone informed her that “nude pictures” of her were circulating. She immediately filed a complaint. The neighbor first denied responsibility yet later admitted to photographing the woman.
The court found insufficient evidence to convict him for voyeurism so the man received full acquittal. The court determined that his neighbor should have been aware she was visible through her open window in the lighted room at night. According to the law, a victim of voyeurism must be in a “protected” space. The law considered it a punishable offense to share the photos.
The defendant received an 8-month prison sentence which can be reduced to nothing if he obtains help for his psychological issues. The court forbids him from using alcohol and drugs as part of his sentence. A small compensation payment of one Euro was granted to the victim in this case.
What is the history of privacy violations and legal consequences?
In modern times privacy violations specifically covering the unauthorized sharing of private images occur with increasing frequency. Research conducted by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity in 2023 revealed that 1 in 5 Europeans encountered at least one online privacy violation with non-consensual sharing of personal images among them.
Laws that deal with such offenses have developed new rules to match the progress of technology. A worldwide movement to combat cyber exploitation motivates Belgium to provide harsher penalties against image-based abuse through its 2018 Privacy Act.
Scientific studies demonstrate that 80% of victimized people develop emotional problems linked to anxiety and depression. Legal frameworks worldwide, such as the UK’s “Revenge Porn Law” and similar legislation in the EU, aim to protect individuals and hold perpetrators accountable.
