32-year-old former flight attendant faces 7-year prison term for alleged rapes

The Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office has called for a seven-year prison sentence and placement under the supervision of the court for a 32-year-old man from Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe. He is accused of tying up and raping a travel companion in Vietnam six years ago and of multiple rapes of his then-girlfriend between 2018 and 2021. Additionally, the man allegedly produced nude images of girls without their consent.

The accused, identified as K.T., worked as a steward for Brussels Airlines in 2017, where he met a female colleague. A relationship developed between them, described by the woman’s lawyer as “friends with benefits.” “In November 2017, the couple embarked on a trip to Vietnam, which K.T. considered a kind of honeymoon until my client made it clear that she did not see the relationship that way,” argued lawyer Rik Vanreusel.

“After a few days, everything seemed fine again, but on the night of November 8 to 9, it all went wrong.” Allegedly, K.T. assaulted, tied up, and raped the young woman after an entertainment outing that night. For the rest of the trip, the girl tried to stay strong, and once home, she cautiously severed contact, according to the civil party.

The defence acknowledged that the two had gone out together, but the young woman allegedly became heavily intoxicated. “My client also noticed that she was no longer entirely lucid,” continued K.T.’s lawyer. “She, on the fourth floor, sat with her legs over the edge of the balcony, saying she wanted to fly. In a panic reaction, he dragged her inside and tied her up, not to harm her but to prevent her from jumping. He couldn’t alert the emergency services, couldn’t leave her alone, and couldn’t bring her downstairs alone. He also forced her to drink water, but only to sober up.”

When a hotel employee came to check, K.T. went to the bar where he had spent the evening with the girl and heard from the bartender that drugs had been put in her drink, according to lawyer D’Hondt. “He returned to the room, where he had a long conversation with her, after which they had sexual relations at her initiative. During the rest of the trip, she behaved normally and enjoyed herself, as shown in a video. And afterwards, she sent messages thanking him for the unforgettable trip.”

Later, K.T. entered into a relationship with another colleague-stewardess, and he is accused of assaulting her as well.

He allegedly raped her at least three times and repeatedly strangled her during intercourse. According to the prosecution, K.T. degraded the young woman during the relationship with comments about her appearance and weight, isolating her from family and friends. “Nude videos and photos of girls were found during a search,” the prosecution added. “Only one of these girls could be identified and stated that she had been filmed without her knowledge.”

The defence argued that there was no rape in his relationship with the second alleged victim or that K.T. had strangled his partner against her will. “There is no evidence for that; my client is someone who sometimes pushes his partners into sexual practices but never forces them. It is also implausible that the young woman would have stayed with him for three years if he had done such things. Why would she let him do such things to her?”

However, the defence did admit that K.T. had produced nude images of at least one girl without her consent. For this, the man was already under supervision at I.T.E.R., the centre for the treatment of perpetrators of sexually inappropriate behaviour.

The court will deliver its verdict on November 10.