Three Arrested in Antwerp Over Drugging, Rape of Women

Three men from Antwerp, aged 41, 37 and 50, have been arrested and jailed on suspicion of drugging and raping at least three women, in offences that investigators say may date back to 2008. The Antwerp prosecutor’s office confirmed the arrests on Saturday after the story was first reported by the regional daily Gazet van Antwerpen. Prosecutors described the offences as “very serious sexual offences” and said the investigation is ongoing.

The main suspect, a 41-year-old man, is the former partner of at least three of the identified victims. Investigators also found “thousands of images” on the suspects’ computers depicting women being sexually abused while apparently under the influence and unconscious, according to VRT NWS.

How the Investigation Unfolded

The case began in May 2026, when a 50-year-old woman filed a complaint against her 41-year-old ex-partner for rape, voyeurism and intentional assault and battery. She said she had been filmed without her consent during sexual abuse. Police seized several digital devices, and the suspect was arrested. On 8 May he was detained by an investigating judge and placed under electronic monitoring, before the council chamber (raadkamer) decided to release him under conditions in July.

Kato Belmans of the Antwerp prosecutor’s office said the investigation continued after that initial release. “In that further investigation, other serious sexual offences came to light, in which two other victims, also ex-partners of the 41-year-old man who was arrested earlier, may have been drugged and abused in the past,” Belmans told HLN. Whether those two women were in fact drugged remains under investigation, and prosecutors said the age of some of the evidence may make that impossible to establish with certainty.

The 41-year-old man was re-arrested on 23 September. The two other suspects, aged 37 and 50, who appear in older images, were also taken into custody. The council chamber confirmed the detention of the 41-year-old and 37-year-old on Monday (28 September). The 50-year-old suspect was due to appear before the council chamber on Monday, 5 October.

Evidence Dating Back to 2008

The images found on the suspects’ computers include both recent material and recordings from 2008 to 2011. Two women visible in the images have been identified and have filed complaints. Investigators are still trying to determine the total number of victims and whether more people were involved.

Suspects’ Defence

The main suspect denies drugging any women and claims the sexual acts were consensual, according to HLN. The 50-year-old suspect, through his lawyer Ergün Top, has appealed the council chamber’s decision to keep him detained, arguing that the facts are time-barred.

“For offences against minors, since 2019 the rule applies that they can no longer be time-barred,” Top said. “But my client is only charged with rape offences and these do not involve minors, so we believe the facts are indeed time-barred.”

Belgium changed its law in 2019 so that sexual offences against minors no longer expire, but time limits still apply to offences such as the rape of adults. Whether the older allegations can still be prosecuted is likely to be central as the case proceeds.

A Wider Pattern

The Antwerp case is the latest in a series of drug-facilitated sexual assault cases that have drawn attention in Belgium and abroad. In April 2026, De Morgen reported on a CNN investigation that uncovered a Telegram group of around a thousand members where men exchanged advice on drugging and raping their unconscious partners. That reporting followed the case of Gisèle Pelicot in France, whose ex-husband was convicted of drugging her for years and inviting dozens of men to rape her. In that case, Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The Antwerp prosecutor’s office has stressed that its investigation is continuing. Key questions remain open: how many women were ultimately affected, whether any additional suspects were involved, and whether the oldest allegations will survive the statute of limitations. The 50-year-old suspect’s detention hearing on 5 October may offer the first indication of how the courts will treat the time-barring argument.

Anyone affected by sexual violence in Belgium can contact Tele-Onthaal anonymously and free of charge on 106.