Prison Sentence for Qualified Intentional Rape in Alley Groningen

A 19-year-old man was sentenced to twenty months in prison, of which ten months are conditional. The man had sex with a woman who repeatedly expressed that she did not want this.

Groningen, December 9, 2025

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A 19-year-old man was sentenced by the Court of Northern Netherlands to twenty months in prison, of which ten months conditional. The man had sex with a woman who repeatedly expressed that she did not want this.

The man and woman were walking in an alley in the city center of Groningen when the man pulled down the womans skirt and penetrated her. At that moment, she wanted to pick up a plastic bag with items that had fallen. He also pushed the woman to the ground. Several nearby students were awakened by the sound of crying and shouting. When they realized that the sexual contact was not consensual, the man decided to leave and left the victim in the alley. Witness statements, audio recordings from a doorbell camera, the described circumstances, and the fact that the woman repeatedly said she did not (anymore) want it, show that she lacked the will for sexual contact with the suspect and that this must have been clear to the man.

What is qualified intentional rape?

Suspects who commit intentional rape act deliberately while the other party does not give voluntary consent to the sexual contact. It concerns conscious and blameworthy behavior in which the will of the other is ignored or dismissed. Qualified intentional rape includes intentional rape preceded by, accompanied by, or followed by coercion, violence, or threats. This variant is punished more severely than intentional rape.

Sentencing

The man was 18 years old when he committed the proven offense. The Criminal Code gives the judge the possibility to take into account the young age of suspects. In this case, this was not applied. According to the probation service, there is indeed a young age and impulsivity, but the man makes conscious choices and does not seem sensitive to guidance. The court does take into account the mans low intelligence and young age. All things considered, the court is of the opinion that a prison sentence of 20 months, of which 10 months conditional with deduction of pre-trial detention and a probation period of 3 years, is appropriate and necessary. The court imposes part of this prison sentence conditionally to prevent the man from committing criminal offenses again in the future and also to enable the imposition of special conditions, as advised by the probation service. Finally, the man must pay compensation of €9,000 to the victim.