In a landmark ruling that corrects a six-decade-old injustice, a Belgian woman has been formally acquitted of a charge for which she was convicted in 1960: biting the tongue of her rapist during a brutal assault.
The woman, now in her eighties and identified only as 'Lea', was a 23-year-old domestic worker when she was attacked by a wealthy, married businessman. In a desperate act of self-defence, she bit her assailant's tongue to force him to release her.
A Travesty of Justice
Shockingly, the legal system of the time sided with her attacker. The man pressed charges for assault, and the court convicted Lea, handing her a one-year suspended prison sentence. Her own rape allegation was dismissed by the court, which instead fined her assailant a mere 1,000 Belgian francs for 'indecency'.
For 61 years, Lea lived with the stigma of a criminal record for defending herself against a violent sexual assault.
The Long Road to Vindication
The path to clearing her name began when a Belgian journalist, digging through old court archives, stumbled upon the case and was horrified by its blatant injustice. He tracked down Lea and, with her blessing, brought the story to the public.
This led to the case being reopened by Belgium's justice minister. The public prosecutor's office, after a fresh review, concluded that the original conviction was a profound miscarriage of justice and formally requested an acquittal.
A court in the city of Kortrijk has now ruled, posthumously acquitting Lea and finally expunging the wrongful conviction from her record.
A Symbol of a Changing Era
This historic overturn is seen as more than just a personal victory; it is a powerful symbol of how societal and legal attitudes towards sexual violence have evolved. The case highlights the systemic failures that once plagued the judiciary, often silencing and punishing victims.
While the acquittal comes too late for many, it serves as a poignant reminder and a formal apology for the wrongs of the past, offering a measure of long-denied peace to a courageous survivor.
