35-year-old French man sentenced for raping 98-year-old woman

A 35-year-old was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday for the rape of a 98-year-old woman in Lelystad last May. The suspect, a French man who was 34 at the time, was accused of forcing his way into the victim’s home, demanded money, and then attacked her.

“The suspect affirmed that he had sex with the victim that night, but that she was a willing participant,” the court said. “The court does not agree with this.”

The incident started late at night on May 27, when the suspect knocked on the victim’s door. When she opened the door slightly, he demanded money and entered the home, prosecutors alleged. He repeatedly raped and assaulted the victim, who was not able to fight back, because of her old age and physical limitations, the court said in passing judgment on the case. 

The woman stated that the suspect beat her and struck her pacemaker. After examining the victim, it revealed that she endured multiple injuries, including at the site of her pacemaker.

“As a result, the victim is still fully under psychological support at the Center for Sexual Violence. She has only recently started to process what happened to her,” the court said. The victim showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, but her case worker said it was too early to make that diagnosis.

Due to the seriousness of the crime, the suspect was sentenced to one year more than the five years recommended by the Public Prosecution Service. He was also ordered to pay 10 thousand euros in compensation to the victim, a figure which could rise hire, the court said.