EU civil servant sentenced to four years for rape
The criminal court in Brussels has sentenced a European Commission Director to four years in jail for the rape of a young legal secretary in 2015. The man was his young victim’s boss at the Commission. The court found the man guilty of rape aggravated by the fact that he was in a position of professional authority over his victim.
The rapist, a high-ranking civil servant at the European Commission, had no previous convictions and as such could have been given a suspended sentence. However, this was not the case as he had maintained his innocence throughout and claimed that he had had consensual sex with his victim. He asked to be acquitted and has said that he will lodge an appeal.
The rape took place on 11 September 2015. The 51-year-old held a small reception for his staff in his office. The victim had briefly attended but soon returned to her desk.
Later the same day he invited her and three other secretaries to his office for a drink. There he touched his victim up in front of witnesses. At around midnight the young woman went to her office to collect her things. Her boss followed her locked the door behind them and raped her.