Serial rapist to serve full sentence, court of appeal has ruled

A violent, HIV positive, serial rapist has appeared before a court of appeal this morning to hear the decisions of his request for a slightly lesser sentence.

Jerome Mengué, 31, from Cameroon, was originally sentenced in May to 20 years imprisonment and ten years of provision of penalty enforcement court for three rapes, two attempted rapes and nearly 50 robberies between 2009 and 2011 in the region of Mons, Belgium.

Mengué requested a lighter sentence and cancellation of the court enforcement penalties but judges at the Mons Court of Appeal decided to uphold the sentence and just reduce the time available to the Tribunal Application of Penalties (TAP).

The court stated: "The repetition of scenes of rape, attempted rape, the particular perversity, cruelty, inhumane behaviour, and the climate of terror the defendant caused the defendant, the seriousness of the offense and the multiplicity of acts of theft" were a risk of recurrence that justifies the application of the provision of TAP.

However, it was reduced to five years "to allow the defendant the opportunity to consider a far less freedom in view of the amendment which he could show."

As a reminder, the facts of rape described at the hearing were extremely violent. In two cases, the rapist targeted couples. He threatened his victims with a gun and did not hesitate to show that it was loaded. After being stripped of all their belongings, Mengué then raped women in front of their companions.

The convict did not use a condom despite being HIV positive. Fortunately, none of the victims were infected. He will serve time in Belgium before being taken to a Swiss Prison to finish his sentence.