A former employer of the crèche at Brussels’ French-Medium Free University (ULB) and her partner have been sentence to 10 and 12 years respectively after they were found guilty of abusing several toddlers that were in her care. They also took photographs of the abuse.
In 2024, the public prosecutor’s office launched an investigation following an alarming report of child sexual abuse. The investigation led to the crèche at the ULB. The crèche is mainly attended by the children of members of staff at the university.
At least 3 toddlers aged between 18 months and 3 years were sexually abused by the 24-year-old childcare worker and her then partner (now aged 40) between 2020 and 2022. They also took and distributed naked images of the children they abused.
“Forced to abuse”
The woman stated that her former partner’s request, she had let him into the crèche on several occasions. There he molested and raped several children. She claims that the man also coerced her into abusing children in her care.
During an interview with detectives, she said “He was mainly interested in the girls but forced me to abuse one of the boys”.
During the trial she retracted her statement and denied the allegations of sexual abuse. Her former partner that is in his 40s also denied any wrongdoing
Stiff prison sentences
The prosecution said that the sexual abuse at the nursery has been proven. Prison sentences of 10 and 16 years were requested for the former crèche worker and her ex-boyfriend.
The Brussels Criminal Court sentenced the woman to 10 years in prison, while the man was sentenced to 12 years.