Four teenage migrants have been sentenced to 15 months in juvenile detention for the gang rape of a homeless woman in the Netherlands. The attackers, aged between 16 and 18, were found guilty of the brutal assault, which occurred in a park in the southern city of Helmond in December 2023.
The Den Bosch court ruled that the perpetrators, described as “unaccompanied foreign minors”, required guidance on integrating into Dutch society, leading to lighter sentences than the two years sought by prosecutors.
The 33-year-old victim had been sitting alone on a bench when she was surrounded by the group and dragged into a grassy area in Burgemeester Geukerspark. The attackers then forced her to the ground and subjected her to a vicious assault, during which she was beaten and raped.
The perpetrators also stole the woman’s mobile phone during the attack. Police later discovered the victim partially naked, with visible injuries, including a swollen nose and jaw. In its judgement, the court noted that such an act “evokes feelings of disgust and indignation in society and in particular feelings of insecurity among women”.
