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Our Motivation: Stories From Belgium
On this page, we list stories from Belgium that show the problem with sexual harassment and violence which serve as impetus for Unsilenced.
Two thirds of Belgian population experience sexual violence, study shows
Two thirds of the Belgian population (aged 16 to 69) have experienced some form of sexual violence during their lifetime, according to the results of a large-scale study conducted by the universities of Ghent and Liège in cooperation with the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology.
Brussels to make public places safer for women by engaging vigilant citizens
Today, authorities in the Brussels Capital Region launched a new campaign called Join the Fam to help address sexual harassment and violence problems in public spaces. The campaign wants to focus on educating the public on what to do if they are a witness to an act of harassment and violence, removing the ‘passive bystander’ from the equation.
'A monstrous pervert': Senior Brussels police official accused of sexual harassment
A senior Brussels police official has been placed under formal investigation after he was accused of abusing his position to obtain sexual favours from "dozens" of female colleagues.
Just 6% of cases reported: Sexual harassment 'normalised' in Belgium
Nine in ten women and girls experience sexual harassment in public spaces, but with the vast majority of incidents going unreported, taking action is difficult.
Men who raped a woman after offering her a place to stay face 5 year sentence
Two men who sedated and raped a woman while she slept in an apartment in Antwerp that the men had offered her and her boyfriend as a place to stay are facing a five-year prison sentence.
Belgium vows tougher stance on sexual violence after suicide of 14-year-old rape victim
Belgium's government has proposed doubling the maximum sentence for rape after a 14-year-old victim killed herself just days after she was assaulted and filmed in Ghent.
Over 50 victims testify that man sexually harassed them in Ixelles
Brussels police have launched an investigation after several young women have come forward to testify that a man in Ixelles has sexually harassed them on the street by forcing them to kiss him.
36-year-old suspect arrested for the rape of 89-year-old care home resident
The Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office has arrested a 36-year-old man on suspicion of the rape of an 89-year-old woman at a residential care home at Lint. The suspect was under the influence of narcotics when he allegedly raped the elderly woman.
Tackling sexual harassment in Belgium is 'joint responsibility', police says
Various police zones are making efforts to tackle sexual harassment in public, however, solving the issues is "the joint responsibility of society," according to one officer.
Sexual violence is rampant in Belgium, shows new study
Sexual violence is rampant in Belgium. In the first large-scale representative and gender- and age-sensitive study on sexual violence in Belgium, called "UN-MENAMAIS" '(Understanding the Mechanisms, Nature, Magnitude and Impact of Sexual Violence in Belgium), experts from Ghent University, the University of Liège, and the National Institute for Criminology and Criminalistics found that two third of the Belgian population experienced sexual violence during their life.
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