A 74-year-old man in Belgium has been sentenced to five years in prison for sexually assaulting a young boy with Down’s syndrome. The retired doctor from Liège received the sentence, with one-third suspended, at the Liège Court of Appeal after a trial.
The incidents occurred in March and May 2021, with the victim reporting two instances of assault by the perpetrator. The boy mentioned one assault happening during a shared shower at the doctor’s residence following a sports activity. The other incident was less clearly described.
Despite the doctor’s denial of the accusations, his reasons for being in the shower with the child were inconsistent. Medical examinations showed evidence of sexual abuse, and a psychological evaluation indicated the doctor had a narcissistic personality.
In a previous trial in September, the defendant was initially given a five-year sentence with two-thirds suspended. The prosecution had requested a six-year prison term due to the victim’s vulnerability, while the doctor’s defense team argued for acquittal or a suspended sentence.
This case emerges amidst a similar disturbing incident in France involving a paedophile surgeon, Joel Le Scouarnec, who was found guilty of sexually abusing numerous individuals, many of whom were underage patients, spanning several decades. Le Scouarnec admitted to multiple rapes and sexual assaults, leading to a 20-year prison sentence. The investigation uncovered decades of abuse documented in electronic diaries, with victims ranging from children to teenagers across a wide age range. The severity of the charges was amplified by his status as a respected medical professional, allowing him to evade justice for an extended period.
Le Scouarnec maintained detailed records of his abusive acts in a diary, even expressing pride in his actions on his birthday each year.
