Youth Soccer Coach in Landen Investigated for Rape of 8-Year-Old
A 39-year-old youth soccer coach from Landen, in Belgium’s Flemish Brabant province, is under criminal investigation for the alleged rape of an 8-year-old boy that occurred approximately eight years ago. The case, which has shaken the local community, has prompted Voetbal Vlaanderen (Flemish Football Association) to suspend the coach and dissolve the youth club he founded.
The suspect, identified as W.M., was arrested after the victim — now 16 and referred to by the pseudonym Cédric — disclosed the abuse to his mother on January 26, 2026. According to VRT NWS, the Leuven public prosecutor’s office has opened a judicial investigation into the allegations.
The Allegations
Cédric told his mother that coach W.M. had touched him in the football locker room and abused him at the coach’s home in the basement. The boy provided detailed descriptions of the basement, according to the HLN exclusive report.
Medical evidence adds weight to the allegations. In 2019, when Cédric was 9 years old, a pediatrician diagnosed him with 15 genital warts caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). At the time, the boy denied any sexual contact, and the doctor noted that the infection could theoretically be transmitted through non-sexual means such as contaminated towels. However, with the new disclosure, the medical record has taken on renewed significance.
“My son has an enormous sense of shame,” Cédric’s mother told HLN. “Cédric was a happy child. An avid little footballer, who joined KVC Houtem-Oplinter at age five.”
The Coach’s Defense
W.M. vehemently denies all allegations. He argues that the basement where the abuse allegedly occurred is barely 1.45 meters high, while he stands 1.85 meters tall, making the acts described physically impossible.
“What in God’s name have I gotten into? After everything I’ve done for that boy and his mother. I even lent that woman money,” W.M. told HLN.
The coach claims he has never had a sexually transmitted disease and offers annual blood tests as proof. However, according to judicial sources cited in HLN, HPV does not enter the bloodstream, meaning blood tests would not detect it.
W.M. has requested and scheduled a lie detector test with Brussels police within the next two weeks. “I am one hundred percent convinced that I will be cleared,” he said. He has threatened to file a counter-complaint for defamation if the test proves his innocence.
Institutional Response
Voetbal Vlaanderen acted swiftly upon learning of the investigation. Spokesperson Nand De Klerck told VRT NWS: “We immediately initiated the procedure and contacted the club and the reference magistrate. They confirmed that an investigation was underway.”
The organization convened an ad-hoc committee, heard the coach, and imposed a provisional suspension from all football activities. “In the interest of the safety of all our members, we take no risks and are temporarily suspending the youth coach,” De Klerck said. The youth club founded by W.M. has also been dissolved.
Notably, Voetbal Vlaanderen received a report about W.M. three years ago through its reporting system, but it was of a different nature and not related to sexual misconduct. At the time, no investigation was running, so the organization could not take further action.
Broader Context
The case highlights systemic concerns about child protection in youth sports. Voetbal Vlaanderen, the largest sports federation in Belgium with nearly 350,000 members, reported a 42.9% increase in reports of transgressive behavior in 2025, rising to 713 from 433 the previous year, as VRT NWS reported in March 2026.
Despite his suspension, W.M. was reportedly present at a two-day youth tournament by the seaside in March 2026, though he claims he was not acting as a coach. “It is very concerning that someone does not comply with imposed measures,” De Klerck said.
What’s Next
The criminal investigation by the Leuven public prosecutor’s office continues. Manon Cop, attorney for the victim and his mother, expressed confidence in the judicial process. “I hope the investigation can bring the truth to light, so that my clients receive the recognition they deserve,” she told HLN.
As De Morgen confirmed, the case has sparked broader discussions about child protection protocols in Belgian youth sports organizations and whether current safeguards are sufficient to prevent such alleged abuses.