Girl, 14, 'gang-raped by up to ten children aged 11-16 was taken to a park by ... trends now
A teenage girl was 'loaned out' by her 'lover boy' boyfriend to be sexually abused by his friends in Belgium who filmed the attack on their phones and shared images on social media, according to reports, in a case that has shocked the country.
The 14-year-old girl was abused by ten minors on up to three occasions between April 2 and April 6 over the Easter holidays, prosecutors say.
The main suspect - the girl's 14-year-old boyfriend - is alleged to have taken the girl with him to a wooded area called Kabouterbos in Kortrijk, West Flanders. The spot is popular with mountain bikers and sits close to a highway.
Once there, the boyfriend is said to have attacked his young partner before allegedly allowing several other boys to sexually assault her as well. Reports said the group filmed the attack on their smartphones and posted clips to social media.
Prosecutors arrested ten suspects aged between 11 and 16 - all reported by local outlets to be boys of 'immigrant origin' - and hauled them in for interrogation.
Since then, more details have emerged about the suspects.
Citing 'well placed sources', Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad described the boyfriend as a 'loverboy boy' type who deliberately allowed his friends to abuse his young partner.
The 14-year-old girl was abused by ten minors on up to three occasions between April 2 and April 6 over the Easter holidays in a wooded area in Kortrijk (pictured), prosecutors say
'Lover boy' in this case is a term used to describe human traffickers who typically operate by trying to make their young victims fall in love with them.
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Gang-rape horror of 14-year-old girl - 'organised by her boyfriend': TEN children aged between just ELEVEN and 16 are arrested over shocking incident that saw Belgian victim 'lured into ambush'
Nieuwsblad said prosecutors turned up 'reprehensible behaviour' on the part of the suspects and 'revenge-mongering facts', citing the sources close to the investigation who said the alleged perpetrators showed 'a complete lack of sense of norms'.
The girl is thought to have spent at least two days in the forest where she was raped, tormented and abused by the gang of minors. She also returned a third time, reports say, but was not raped on that occasion.
The group took turns abusing the victim, and all participated 'to a greater or lesser extent,' Nieuwsblad said in its report.
The girl is understood to have been raped by several of the boys while others filmed the attacks on their smart phones, before sharing the clips with others.
Images were also shared on social media, reportedly over Snapchat - an instant messaging app that allows users to easily share pictures and videos.
The youngest of the boys, an 11-year-old, is said to have been used as lookout.
None of the group urged their friends to stop the abuse, sources said.
The investigation has been conducted in the utmost secrecy by the West Flanders prosecutor's office to avoid any chance of family members of the victim or members of the public learning the identities of those involved.
Although the alleged attack took place in early April, the girl didn't come forward for several days out of fear of telling her parents and the police.
It wasn't until April 25 that the police were able to arrest the suspects.
In total, ten boys were detained. Six of the suspects were placed in a closed institution, while the other four were placed under house arrest.
They have since been questioned - all simultaneously and separately, so that investigators can compare all statements.
Citing its sources, Nieuwsblad said many of the statements given by the boys were contradictory, a number of the suspects blaming each other.
Some of the six minors placed in the institution appeared in juvenile court on Wednesday afternoon. It was reported that two were released on conditions.
Nieuwsblad reported that four more minors are now in custody - including the 14-year-old boyfriend who, it is understood, has been made the main suspect.
Prosecutors are now working to establish what extent each suspect was involved in the assault on the 14-year-old girl, or if any were bystanders.
Tom Janssens of the Public Prosecutor's Office said that on account of the age of all those involved, little is
