117:, Belgium, according to reports, 39-year-old Steve Bakelmans, wanting to rape a random person, saw 23-year-old Julie Van Espen riding her bicycle. He pulled her off the bicycle and tried to rape her. When she fought back, he beat her until she stopped moving and strangled her. Leaving her body on the side of the road, he took her bicycle basket with him and walked to the training center of the
181:" and "#JulieVanEspen" being used to command attention to the case, to raise awareness on sexual violence, and to address that Bakelmans had been walking free while being convicted of rape twice before. Over 15,000 people walked in a silent march in Antwerp for Van Espen on 12 May. The "Partij voor de Poëzie" (
191:
On 18 May, over 2000 people attended Van Espen's funeral: seven hundred relatives, friends and acquaintances inside the church, and around 1600 people following the service outside. During the church ceremony, relatives of Van Espen made a public request to change the name of the bridge near which
136:
after the CCTV images were published in a public appeal as part of the investigation into Van Espen's death. In custody, he confessed to having killed her. He had previously served four-and-a-half years in prison for a series of offences, including rape, and, in 2016, he had been remanded again on
137:
suspicion of theft and rape, later being sentenced to four years' imprisonment. He had appealed and the case had been indefinitely postponed in
November 2018. After he was arrested on suspicion of having killed Van Espen, police and prosecutors announced that they intended to use Bakelmans's
125:; this footage was later used to trace him. Bakelmans dumped Van Espen's travel pass in one of the bins of the complex. Because her bicycle basket did not fit into the bin, he hid it in an alley. Later that night, he dumped her body in the
105:. That same day, police arrested 39-year-old Steve Bakelmans on suspicion of her murder; in custody, he confessed that he had killed her after attempting to rape her. The case has led to political protests against sexual violence.
691:
318:
349:
627:
410:
207:
On 21 December 2021, the jury of the Assize Court of
Antwerp sentenced Steve Bakelmans to life imprisonment, a release to the sentencing court of 15 years and a period of 20 years security.
595:
472:
681:
565:
308:
285:
617:
341:
560:
659:
743:
462:
738:
402:
587:
129:
along with her bicycle and her mobile phone. The body was found in the canal on 6 May. Some of Van Espen's clothing was found in the grass.
555:
240:"Meer dan 2.000 mensen op uitvaart Julie Van Espen: "Alles wat je deed, was voor iemand anders. Deze wereld is haar mooiste schat kwijt""
733:
718:
216:
165:"out of respect and compassion for the parents, family and social network of Julie" on 8 May. Social media users, including singer
275:
532:
502:
440:
379:
249:
728:
654:
723:
467:
649:
188:) hung posters in locations around Belgium where women felt sexually intimidated, to denounce sexual violence.
682:"DISCUSSIE. Nabestaanden van Julie roepen op om nieuwe Gabriël Theunisbrug Zonnebrug te noemen: wat vindt u?"
495:"Goedele Liekens na de moord op Julie Van Espen: "Wanneer nemen we seksueel geweld eindelijk ernstig?""
686:
556:"Verontwaardiging, woede en onveiligheidsgevoel: de moord op Julie maakt veel los op sociale media"
622:
313:
157:
account was deleted due to hundreds of people sending him hateful messages. Minister of
Justice
280:
114:
102:
178:
170:
17:
244:
166:
118:
712:
524:
494:
432:
371:
239:
138:
309:"Julie Van Espen's murderer confessed to killing her, but said he 'did not mean to'"
433:"Minister Geens annuleert Midzomerfeest "uit respect voor familie Julie Van Espen""
126:
98:
618:""Dit is voor mijn lichaam": overal gedichten in de strijd tegen seksueel geweld"
372:"Gerecht is van plan om DNA van Steve Bakelmans te matchen aan andere misdaden"
97:(27 February 1996 – 4 May 2019), a 23-year-old Belgian woman, was found in the
158:
75:
142:
588:"Antwerpen rouwt en protesteert met stille tocht voor vermoorde Julie (23)"
132:
On the day Van Espen's body was found, Bakelmans was arrested by police in
525:"Gebruikers Instagram zoeken troost in gedichten na moord Julie Van Espen"
174:
154:
403:"Facebook verwijdert profiel Steve Bakelmans na stortvloed aan reacties"
342:"Suspect in murder of Julie Van Espen had been twice convicted for rape"
79:
55:
51:
463:"Belle Pérez veroordeelt moord op Julie Van Espen met pakkend gedicht"
162:
133:
122:
554:
Van Hee, Lente; Dorjbayar, Amra; Boffé, Aurélie (7 May 2019).
276:"Vlaamse Julie vocht terug. Dat bekocht ze met haar leven"
61:
47:
32:
8:
561:Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie
238:Stevens, Guy; Geusens, Sofie (18 May 2019).
27:
173:, condemned the assault on Van Espen, with
650:"Uitvaart Julie van Espen massaal bezocht"
141:in order to see if they could link him to
26:
161:cancelled the Midsummer party planned in
227:
153:The day after his arrest, Bakelmans'
7:
269:
267:
233:
231:
217:List of solved missing person cases
193:
192:her body was found to "Zonnebrug" (
182:
25:
744:Violence against women in Belgium
71:2019 homicide in Antwerp, Belgium
694:from the original on 28 May 2019
662:from the original on 18 May 2019
630:from the original on 28 May 2019
598:from the original on 12 May 2019
505:from the original on 28 May 2019
475:from the original on 28 May 2019
443:from the original on 28 May 2019
382:from the original on 18 May 2019
340:Galindo, Gabriela (7 May 2019).
288:from the original on 12 May 2019
252:from the original on 18 May 2019
739:Missing person cases in Belgium
568:from the original on 9 May 2019
535:from the original on 7 May 2019
413:from the original on 8 May 2019
352:from the original on 9 May 2019
321:from the original on 8 May 2019
274:Lefelon, Patrick (8 May 2019).
1:
655:Nederlandse Omroep Stichting
307:Chini, Maïthé (7 May 2019).
401:Evers, Freek (7 May 2019).
93:On 6 May 2019, the body of
760:
734:May 2019 events in Belgium
719:2010s missing person cases
531:(in Flemish). 7 May 2019.
73:
28:Murder of Julie Van Espen
18:Death of Julie Van Espen
186: Party for Poetry
729:Female murder victims
121:. He was captured on
177:such as "#enough", "
36:4 May 2019
687:Gazet Van Antwerpen
29:
623:Het Laatste Nieuws
346:The Brussels Times
314:The Brussels Times
113:On 4 May 2019, in
724:Events in Antwerp
199:) in her memory.
169:and psychologist
69:
68:
16:(Redirected from
751:
704:
703:
701:
699:
678:
672:
671:
669:
667:
646:
640:
639:
637:
635:
614:
608:
607:
605:
603:
592:Algemeen Dagblad
584:
578:
577:
575:
573:
551:
545:
544:
542:
540:
521:
515:
514:
512:
510:
491:
485:
484:
482:
480:
459:
453:
452:
450:
448:
429:
423:
422:
420:
418:
398:
392:
391:
389:
387:
368:
362:
361:
359:
357:
337:
331:
330:
328:
326:
304:
298:
297:
295:
293:
281:Algemeen Dagblad
271:
262:
261:
259:
257:
235:
198:
197: Sunbridge
195:
187:
184:
43:
41:
30:
21:
759:
758:
754:
753:
752:
750:
749:
748:
709:
708:
707:
697:
695:
690:. 19 May 2019.
680:
679:
675:
665:
663:
658:. 18 May 2019.
648:
647:
643:
633:
631:
626:. 19 May 2019.
616:
615:
611:
601:
599:
594:. 12 May 2019.
586:
585:
581:
571:
569:
553:
552:
548:
538:
536:
523:
522:
518:
508:
506:
493:
492:
488:
478:
476:
461:
460:
456:
446:
444:
431:
430:
426:
416:
414:
400:
399:
395:
385:
383:
378:. 10 May 2019.
370:
369:
365:
355:
353:
339:
338:
334:
324:
322:
306:
305:
301:
291:
289:
273:
272:
265:
255:
253:
237:
236:
229:
225:
213:
205:
196:
185:
171:Goedele Liekens
151:
111:
95:Julie Van Espen
91:
72:
39:
37:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
757:
755:
747:
746:
741:
736:
731:
726:
721:
711:
710:
706:
705:
673:
641:
609:
579:
546:
529:Het Nieuwsblad
516:
501:. 9 May 2019.
499:Het Nieuwsblad
486:
471:. 7 May 2019.
454:
439:. 8 May 2019.
437:Het Nieuwsblad
424:
393:
376:Het Nieuwsblad
363:
332:
299:
263:
245:Het Nieuwsblad
226:
224:
221:
220:
219:
212:
209:
204:
201:
150:
147:
119:Antwerp Giants
110:
107:
70:
67:
66:
63:
59:
58:
49:
45:
44:
34:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
756:
745:
742:
740:
737:
735:
732:
730:
727:
725:
722:
720:
717:
716:
714:
693:
689:
688:
683:
677:
674:
661:
657:
656:
651:
645:
642:
629:
625:
624:
619:
613:
610:
597:
593:
589:
583:
580:
567:
563:
562:
557:
550:
547:
534:
530:
526:
520:
517:
504:
500:
496:
490:
487:
474:
470:
469:
464:
458:
455:
442:
438:
434:
428:
425:
412:
408:
404:
397:
394:
381:
377:
373:
367:
364:
351:
347:
343:
336:
333:
320:
316:
315:
310:
303:
300:
287:
283:
282:
277:
270:
268:
264:
251:
247:
246:
241:
234:
232:
228:
222:
218:
215:
214:
210:
208:
202:
200:
189:
180:
176:
172:
168:
164:
160:
156:
148:
146:
144:
140:
135:
130:
128:
124:
120:
116:
108:
106:
104:
100:
96:
89:
85:
81:
77:
64:
60:
57:
53:
50:
46:
35:
31:
19:
696:. Retrieved
685:
676:
664:. Retrieved
653:
644:
632:. Retrieved
621:
612:
600:. Retrieved
591:
582:
570:. Retrieved
564:(in Dutch).
559:
549:
537:. Retrieved
528:
519:
507:. Retrieved
498:
489:
477:. Retrieved
466:
457:
445:. Retrieved
436:
427:
415:. Retrieved
406:
396:
384:. Retrieved
375:
366:
354:. Retrieved
345:
335:
323:. Retrieved
312:
302:
290:. Retrieved
279:
254:. Retrieved
243:
206:
190:
152:
131:
127:Albert Canal
112:
99:Albert Canal
94:
92:
87:
83:
167:Belle Pérez
713:Categories
223:References
159:Koen Geens
143:cold cases
76:Dutch name
65:Strangling
40:2019-05-04
407:De Morgen
149:Aftermath
84:Van Espen
692:Archived
660:Archived
628:Archived
596:Archived
566:Archived
533:Archived
503:Archived
473:Archived
441:Archived
411:Archived
380:Archived
350:Archived
319:Archived
286:Archived
250:Archived
211:See also
203:Sentence
175:hashtags
155:Facebook
74:In this
48:Location
194:transl.
183:transl.
115:Antwerp
103:Antwerp
80:surname
56:Belgium
52:Antwerp
38: (
698:28 May
666:19 May
634:22 May
602:13 May
572:29 May
539:29 May
509:28 May
479:28 May
447:28 May
417:19 May
386:13 May
356:13 May
325:13 May
292:13 May
256:19 May
179:#MeToo
163:Leuven
134:Leuven
109:Events
86:, not
78:, the
468:Metro
88:Espen
62:Cause
700:2019
668:2019
636:2019
604:2019
574:2019
541:2019
511:2019
481:2019
449:2019
419:2019
388:2019
358:2019
327:2019
294:2019
258:2019
123:CCTV
33:Date
139:DNA
101:in
82:is
715::
684:.
652:.
620:.
590:.
558:.
527:.
497:.
465:.
435:.
409:.
405:.
374:.
348:.
344:.
317:.
311:.
284:.
278:.
266:^
248:.
242:.
230:^
145:.
54:,
702:.
670:.
638:.
606:.
576:.
543:.
513:.
483:.
451:.
421:.
390:.
360:.
329:.
296:.
260:.
90:.
42:)
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.