It is a sordid affair which has been judged since Monday, November 4, 2024 by the Gard criminal court. The trial of a father accused of raping and prostituting his daughter. He is also accused of violence and sexual assault on his second daughter and his partner's son. The verdict is expected on Friday.
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Since Monday, the Gard criminal court has been examining a case of rape, sexual assault and pimping. In total, three minors were abused.
Samuel Verbeke, 42, is accused of raping his daughter when she was eight years old. According to the prosecution, he also prostituted her for several years. The facts allegedly occurred when the child was visiting his father in a village in the Cévennes.
The man is on trial alongside three other defendants. Among them, the paternal grandmother and a couple are being prosecuted for having participated in these crimes.
Maître Séverine Lamberton, lawyer for the civil party, spoke of the victim's pain: “Camille is experiencing deep trauma. It’s difficult for her to rebuild her life. But she continues her schooling and tries to build a future.” The young girl, now a 17-year-old teenager, is present in court, accompanied by her mother.
READ ALSO: Little girl raped and prostituted by her father: four people before the criminal court
The young girl is visibly marked by the violence she suffered. Maître Séverine Lamberton, lawyer for the victim, further declared: “This trial is an important step for Camille. She is trying to rebuild herself, even if the path is very difficult.”
The man is also accused of violence and sexual assault on his second daughter and his partner's son, both of whom were absent from the hearing on Tuesday.
For its part, the defense tries to explain the actions of Samuel Verbeke by invoking his past, a difficult family context in the hinterland of the Cévennes. The accused was built, according to her, in an incestuous environment. All of Samuel Verbeke's brothers and sisters were victims of sexual violence and assault during their childhood by their own father.
The defendant's lawyer, Maître Khadija Aoudia, explains that“He has become aware of the perversity of his actions. He wishes to seek treatment and has even requested chemical castration to avoid repeating these acts.”
The trial is expected to last until Friday. The verdict will be delivered at the end of the week.
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