A Bulgarian citizen has been convicted by the Court of Appeal in Antwerp for rape after defrauding a prostitute with false bank payments for the service, Belgian media reported. The court noted that such a decision is being made for the first time, BTA reported.
The Bulgarian citizen explained to the court that he was under the influence of cocaine. The investigation found that he had defrauded the complainant six times, misleading her into believing that he was paying her in advance through a banking application, when in fact his phone showed pictures of old payments or completed but unsigned forms for new transfers.
The court explained that according to Belgian law, this was a case of intentional deception of the victim and, as a result, there was sexual intercourse without the consent of both parties. This leads to the conclusion that it was rape. A court spokesman pointed out that prostitutes often complain that they were not paid for their services, but this is the first time that a fraud committed in such a way has been investigated. Belgium is one of the European countries that has legalized prostitution.
The Bulgarian citizen, who is only specified as being around 30 years old, received a suspended sentence of three years in prison. He will be required to attend psychotherapy and undergo regular drug testing.