About twenty women have filed complaints against a 53-year-old psychotherapist from Erpe-Mere, a town in Belgium’s East Flanders province, who has been in custody for more than a month on suspicion of voyeurism, rape and violation of sexual integrity, De Standaard reported. De Standaard published its report on November 4, 2026.
The allegations describe a pattern of escalating misconduct during therapy sessions. One complainant, identified only as Ann, 35, told Het Nieuwsblad she felt manipulated and abused, saying the therapist “pushed on me. First gently, until he squeezed my throat shut.” Another woman told De Standaard the therapist “asked me to stay overnight at his place,” and HLN reported that women were asked to lie on a table in lingerie during sessions. Het Nieuwsblad published its account on November 3, 2026, while HLN’s report appeared on October 2, 2026. About twenty women say they feel abused by the therapist.
What the complainants describe
According to Het Nieuwsblad, Ann said the behavior escalated step by step, “until he raped me in his practice.” HLN, which spoke with four women including former patients and a psychologist about the therapist’s practice, reported that he told patients it was “easier to massage” if they removed their bra, and that one woman said “his hand would slip toward certain body parts.” De Standaard additionally reported a woman saying he went beneath her bra and underwear. One woman told HLN that during a session he “massaged my buttocks,” describing unwanted physical contact.
HLN also reported an unusual detail: the therapist allegedly had patients sign a document giving “consent to touching of intimate areas.”
Why the professional association says it can do little
De Standaard reported that when a therapist misbehaves, the professional association has limited power to act, a point the outlet raised in a separate report on the case. The therapist, identified in Belgian reports by the initials M.D.W., remains in pre-trial detention while the investigation continues.
Where the case stands
The complaints were filed with Belgian authorities, and the man has been held in custody for more than a month on the suspicions of voyeurism, rape and aantasting van de seksuele integriteit (violation of sexual integrity), according to both De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad. No trial date has been reported in the available coverage, and the allegations remain unproven in court.
