Punishment with a postponement claimed against former dean UAntwerpen due to cross -border behavior (inland)
« To protect the privacy of the victims, we ask to conduct the trial behind closed doors, » said lawyer Walter Damen on Wednesday morning before the correctional court in Antwerp. He assists the Medicine student who reported sexual cross -border behavior to the confidant in June 2023. « It was too heavy for her to be here today. My client is currently working on a specialization training and is trying to focus entirely on her studies. »
An employee of the UAntwerpen has also set herself a civil party, but she was present before the hearing. « For her it has been a very long and emotional day. She is holding strong, but she also still suffers from nightmares and anxiety attacks, » says Damen. « In the room, people are present who have previously clearly expressed their support for Mr. H. and have tried to ridicule my clients. We do not want to circulate fanatic stories again. The academic world is a small world, which makes identification easy. The victims want to keep their privacy. »
The other civil parties, including the University of Antwerp, joined the request to conduct the process behind closed doors. Guy H. himself was not a questioning party, « but we behave according to wisdom, » said his lawyer, master Christine Mussche. The court decided to respond to the request. After a short deliberation of the judges, the public and the press had to leave the courtroom.
Lawyer Walter Damen defends the victims: « The academic world is a small world, which makes identification easy. They want to keep their privacy. » – © JvdP
The ball started rolling after the Medicine student had stepped into the confidential adviser two years ago. She reported sexual cross -border behavior by Guy H., who was then still dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. The young woman first addressed the professor himself about his behavior, who then decided to engage Mensura (the service for protection and prevention in the workplace, ed.). According to him, the student had an aggression problem.
After the report, the University of Antwerp started a disciplinary investigation. The rector finally decided to suspend the professor, after which he was no longer welcome at the university campus and was no longer allowed to show himself at the University Hospital Antwerp (UZA) in Edegem.
Former dean Guy H. with his lawyers An-Sofie Raes and Christine Mussche. – © JBVP
Following the extensive reporting in the media, the Antwerp public prosecutor started its own investigation for « possible criminal offenses ». The investigation was gradually scaled up into a judicial investigation, in which an investigating judge was demanded for the damage to sexual integrity and harassment/undesirable sexual behavior at work.
Six victims
In the end, six female victims reported themselves, including the student who at the time went to the confidential adviser and an employee of the University of Antwerp. The former dean is accused of having affected their sexual integrity, including by sending inappropriate messages via social media. The facts would have occurred over a period of ten years, from 2012 to 2022.
During the session behind closed doors, a penalty of eighteen months with a delay was demanded by the public prosecutor’s office. The former dean denied part of the facts, but partly made confessions. His lawyers, Christine Mussche and An-Sofie Raes, asked to grant him the favor of the suspension. Then H. would be explained guilty but not get a punishment. The public prosecutor opposes this because it is of the opinion that H. shows too little debt insight. Judgment will follow on June 18.
