Antwerp (Brussels Morning Newspaper) -The Antwerp Court of Appeal accepted the petition for provisional release, which an attorney presented on behalf of former porn producer Dennis ‘Black Magic’ Burkas (50). Prisoner Burkas can gain temporary freedom from his current sex charges with a 20,000 euro bail.
The Antwerp Court of Appeal has approved the provisional release of Dennis ‘Black Magic’ Burkas, a former porn producer currently in custody over a sex case. Burkas’s release from prison would have been possible if he had provided 20,000 euros in bail, according to the Antwerp public prosecutor’s office. His lawyer, Walter Van Steenbrugge, stated,
“We will see if we can get that money together.”
Dennis Burkas spent his time in prison starting in April 2019 after the criminal court in Tongeren sentenced him to seven years for sexually assaulting eight women. Burkas promised to give the victims porn industry career opportunities yet pressured them into sexual acts before accepting them into his business. Burkas presented a denial of the rape claims during his legal challenge to his sentence. Six alleged victims testified at the start of the appeal trial on the preceding Friday.
“The case has, therefore, been delayed further. We currently do not know when the case can be dealt with further. The woman’s state of health will be evaluated at the hearing on 12 March, but we will not be able to plead then. My client has been in pre-trial detention for a long time – his second pre-trial detention in this case – and that is why I have filed this petition,”
Says Mr Van Steenbrugge.
The court accepted the petition and decided that Dennis Burkas may leave prison on payment of a bail of 20,000 euros.
“That is a lot of money. I will discuss with my client and the family whether we can raise that amount,”
Says the lawyer.
What is the history of sex crime cases in the Antwerp?
Multiple high-profile sex crime investigations have occurred in the Antwerp region during the last few years, which targeted victims within the entertainment businesses together with adult providers. In 2020, a local businessman received a conviction for using fake modelling promises to lure women before exploiting their sexual vulnerability. These cases have exposed widespread problems in the area that prompted increased legal monitoring and strong public protests.
Complex sex crime appeals frequently appear at the Antwerp Court of Appeal to demonstrate the importance of extensive witness evidence and expert analysis in such cases. The regional legal system now offers pre-trial detainees an opportunity to secure their release after posting substantial bail payments as a part of its evolving rules governing first-hand detentions.
