A 21-year-old man has to go to prison for two years for the rape of a student in Maastricht during Carnival 2020. The judge also imposed a one-year suspended prison sentence on him.
The young twenty-something must also pay his victim almost 38,000 euros in damages.
Also read: One year after rape, Maastricht citizen (20) is arrested
Hours of nightmare
In the early morning of February 26, 2020, the man entered his victim’s home on the Lage Baraks through a window. He had just finished celebrating Carnival and had used alcohol and drugs. She was sleeping, woke up with a start and was then raped for hours. The man threatened to “kill her” if the woman went to the police.
Images published
After the rape, the twenty-something remained without a trace for a year. That changed when the police published images. Almost two years after the rape, there is also a conviction. In the meantime, the victim still struggles with fears, sleeping and concentration problems and reliving experiences. She was unable to complete her education in Maastricht.
Also read: Man climbs through window and rapes woman, witness wanted
Repentance shown
Justice previously demanded four years in prison against the man, but the judge keeps it at three years, of which one year is probation. He was 19 years old at the time of the offense and had a clean criminal record. At the trial, he showed remorse and apologized to the victim, which came across as sincere to the court,” the court explains in the verdict.
“The imposed sentence is in line with what I have advocated on behalf of the client,” says lawyer Bo te Baerts in an initial response. “I can’t say anything more about it.”
