A 22-year-old man from Emmen has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for rape in May 2023 in Assen. According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), the suspect forced a woman from Assen to perform sexual acts during a date and used violence.
The man and the woman had met each other through a dating app and met up that evening in Groningen. After the date, a situation arose that was experienced differently by both parties.
The fact that there was sexual contact is not in dispute, but the explanations regarding the circumstances under which it took place differ fundamentally.
The complainant stated that she had repeatedly indicated that she wanted to stop, but that the suspect continued. He also allegedly hit her, threatened her and grabbed her by the throat.
The suspect denies that there was coercion or violence and states that the contact was voluntary. According to him, the accusations are untrue.
The woman did not report the crime until 2024. According to her, it took a long time before she saw herself as a victim. After conversations with care providers and those around her, she decided to go to the police. Things had not been going well for her for some time.
The Public Prosecution Service finds the complainant’s statement credible and points to voice messages she sent to a friend shortly after the incident, as well as app conversations between her and the suspect.
The woman texted a day after the incident that the man had significantly crossed her boundaries. She was very shocked by his behavior. The man texted back: “I get it. I was too aggressive.” He apologized.
According to the public prosecutor, these documents provide sufficient support for her story. The Public Prosecution Service also emphasized that someone can withdraw a previous consent to sex at any time and that the other person must respect that limit.
The defense disputes the allegations and argues that there is insufficient evidence of rape. According to him, this was about sex ‘between two guys who still had to learn this’. According to the lawyer, a misunderstanding arose between the two because they had not made agreements in advance. He pleaded for acquittal.
The court will do so on July 1.