80-year-old Esther Masschaele suffered a terrible sexual assault on the part of just a 12-year-old boy. A dramatic event occurred on 11 April 2025 in Ostend, when an elderly woman calmly walked on purchases.
Reported victims, a teenager threw himself at her by surprise, knocked her on the sidewalk and began to hit her head with great force against the record. Then he pulled his pants down her ankles and tried to sexually exploit her. The woman passed out during the attack.
Fortunately, at a critical point, cyclists appeared, scaring the attacker and calling for help. Esther was found lying on the sidewalk with her pants down and her head bleeding.
"I lay there completely humiliated"
In a moving interview with RTL Info, an old lady said:
"I lay there with my pants down to my ankles, with my head bleeding, completely confused. I feel completely destroyed. The soul of an elderly person is simply broken. I don't have the guts to leave home anymore."
The woman is in deep psychological and physical shock – she has been afraid to leave the apartment ever since.
Response to justice
The boy was quickly detained. However, the juvenile justice released him on parole. The assailant will have to appear again in front of a juvenile court judge after the investigation. Possible sanctions include from simple warning to community service. This decision provoked great outrage among the people of Ostenda and throughout the country.
The issue highlights the huge problem with juvenile delinquency and the lack of adequate consequences for juvenile offenders of particularly violent crimes.
History shocked public opinion in Belgium. Many commentators ask directly: how is it possible that a 12-year-old commits such a savage act and returns home without real consequences?
What do you think of this case? Isn't the juvenile protection system going too far? Let me know in the comments.
Source: RTL
