#MeToo trial: Belgian artist Jan Fabre sentenced to 18 months suspended prison sentence
Belgian artist Jan Fabre, here on March 29, 2016. AFP - LOUISA GOULIAMAKI
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Jan Fabre, a major figure in the plastic arts and dance in Belgium, was sentenced this Friday, April 29 to an 18-month suspended prison sentence following accusations of sexual assault and harassment within his company Troubleyn in 2018.
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The 63-year-old artist was absent for the delivery of the judgment and did not attend his trial either, where his defense essentially pleaded his provocative, anarchist and radical side, his decisive character and his desire to go beyond the limits that are the mark of his work.
But the testimonies of the complainants were described as very credible by the prosecution, which had requested three years in prison against Jan Fabre, reports
Pierre Benazet
.
The victims were all members or collaborators of Troubleyn, the artist's dance company between 2002 and 2018. A "
culture of fear
" had been established within it by Jan Fabre, established the prosecutor.
During the trial, the victims described acts of moral or sexual harassment, indecent assault and evoked sexual relations that Jan Fabre would have imposed on dancers in exchange for the right to dance solo.
► Also to listen: Where is #MeToo?
“An important step”
The Antwerp criminal court did not follow the public prosecutor's office by imposing on the choreographer only half of the required sentence, and with a suspended sentence.
Some of the facts were deemed unproven or time-barred, as they dated back to a period between 2002 and 2005. The court nevertheless upheld the charges of six of the twelve plaintiffs.
He notably retained the accusation of “indecent assault” for a kiss with the tongue not consented to a complainant and the violence or humiliation suffered by five other dancers.
This judgment is "
an important step
" and "
recognition
" for the victims, reacted An-Sofie Raes, one of the lawyers for the civil parties, quoted by the Belga press agency.
“
The victims of these behaviors now know that such acts are punishable
,” she added.
The court considers that the sentence imposed must "
make Jan Fabre aware
"
of "the seriousness of his acts
" and indicates that his decision takes into account "
their repetitive nature
" and "
the impact
" they had on the victims.
In addition to his 18-month suspended prison sentence, Jan Fabre was given an additional sentence of five years' deprivation of civic rights by the Antwerp court.
And, the first tangible consequence of this judgment: a sculpture by Jan Fabre was removed from the roof of an Antwerp museum.
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