Sint-Truiden (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A 40-year-old man in Sint-Truiden gets 20 months in prison by the Hasselt criminal court for assaulting his 18-year-old daughter. He was under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The court punished him because of his serious actions, past crimes, and failure to change despite help.
In Sint-Truiden, a 40-year-old man acted in a harmful way toward his 18-year-old daughter. He was sentenced to 20 months in prison. He also lost some rights for 5 years.
According to officials, during court proceedings, it was evident that the family had problems. He had a drinking and drug habit for many years. They mentioned that the mother also struggled with drinking. Because of these serious problems, the daughter had once been sent to a youth centre to get away from the unsafe home.
What factors contributed to the father’s assault in Sint-Truiden?
According to the prosecutor, in court, the mother seemed more worried about her husband going to jail than about her daughter’s safety. He mentioned that the daughter’s pain was ignored while her parents focused on their issues.
In court, the prosecutor said the father’s actions were very serious. He broke the trust a parent should have to keep their child safe. The father assaulted his daughter in her bedroom, which caused her a lot of harm. The defence claimed the father now understands how wrong he was. He admitted his mistakes and felt sorry for what he did. To show he wants to change, he is getting counselling to help with his issues.
“The father, who is supposed to be responsible for his daughter’s safety, assaulted that person in her bedroom,” the prosecutor said.
The defence asked the court to limit the father’s prison time to what he had already served. They wanted him to complete the rest on probation. They thought this would show he understood his mistakes and wanted to change. However, the court did not agree. They believed the crime was too serious. The court also considered the father’s difficult home life. They wanted to make sure he was responsible for his actions.
In July 2024, one night, Father crawled into her bed wearing only his boxer shorts. He pressured his daughter to engage in sexual activities. The young woman resisted his advances. When he became aggressive, she defended herself by kicking him away.
The prosecutor mentioned that this incident was not just a single incident. He said it showed a larger problem in their home, which was filled with substance abuse and neglect.
He mentioned that the man’s past crimes were important in the court’s decision about his sentence. Father had been convicted 3 times and served several prison terms for theft. The court saw him as a repeat offender, which made them take his current crime seriously.
The court mentioned that he had chances to change through probation but did not improve. At the time of the assault on his daughter, he was wearing an ankle monitor because he was on probation.
