Five teenagers have been arrested in Belgium over the alleged gang rape of a 14-year-old girl, who died less than a week later.
According to Belgian media, images of the attack were shared online.
The victim took her life four days later.
Prosecutors
say that three of the suspects, who are minors, are in a youth
facility, while two men aged 18 and 19 have been arrested and are due to
appear in court on Wednesday.
The
prosecution has only confirmed that they are being investigated for
"acts that occurred shortly before the death of the victim".
According
to Belgian media reports, the girl had arranged to meet a male friend
at a cemetery in Ghent on 15 May. However, he allegedly arrived with the
four other suspects and assaulted the victim. Images from the attack
were also uploaded to social media.
"These images were the last straw for her... her entire world collapsed," her father told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.
The
case has led to a strong response from Belgian politicians, with
Secretary of State for Equality Sarah Schlitz vowing to take action to
prevent images of sexual assault being shared online.
"The
distribution of such images on social media is not just intolerable,
but also totally illegal. It should simply not be possible," she said,
adding that her team would meet with representatives of social media
companies to discuss moderation policies.
"Horrible. There are no words," Belgian Justice Minister Vincent van Quickenborne wrote on Twitter.
"I
call on victims of sexual violence: file a complaint," he said, noting
that help was available and that the justice system would "do
everything" to find and punish perpetrators, as well as those who shared
images of sexual assault.
Liesbet
Stevens, an expert in gender equality, told VRT News that the assault
"is unfortunately not an isolated case", noting that around 200 gang
rapes are reported in Belgium every year.
The attack took place at a graveyard in Ghent
