Teenager committed suicide after gang-rape

By Roni Alasor

31 May 2021 - Middle East Diplomatic- “Full freedom” without responsibility of parents cost life and create crimes: A 14 year-old girl killed herself after that she has been assaulted and brutally raped by a gang in a cemetary in Ghent in last May. The victim`s father told to the Belgium media that his daughter`s suicide was connected to the discovery of the videos on social media. The criminal perpetrators of rape used the video on social media and just after four days, the victim killed herself. Three of perpetrators have been placed in youth custody while two are arrested.

The tragic end of the 14-year-old girl has shocked Belgium and it has sparked great emotion in all communities, but there is question if government can put the maximum penalty for those kind of crimes.

Earlier, a female lawyer and a police women responsible for the youths in Brussels Police told me that according the Belgium laws, parents can not intervene or push a 12 years old teenager to stop them to smoke hashish-use narcotic or have sexual relation. This is a extrem "freedom" against responsibility of desparete parents how to protect their child against all kind of crimes. Now its time for the government of PM Alexander De Croo to take a look how this "freedom" is abused by teenager and the industry around them.

Regarding the crime in Ghent, Belgian PM Alexander De Croo and Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne described the sexual rape against women and the resent incident as "pandemic" and "atrocious" and promised to crackdown the growing rape-crime.

De Croo and Van Quickenborne gave hopes that parliament would adopt a bill that would double the "maximum penalty" to crackdown on sex offenders : "Too often we have left the victims to their fate, we want to do everything possible to ensure that they are better protected. For the rape of a minor under the age of 14, the sentence would be increased to 28 years in prison," the justice minister Van Quickenborne said.

According to the “For a healthy Belgium” official information page, suicidal behaviors (thoughts, attempts, and actual suicides) represent an important public health and societal problem in Belgium.

During the COVID-19 crisis, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts have increased in the population. One out of 4 young people (18-29 years old) reported having seriously considered suicide during the last 12 months.