De Pauw said after his conviction that he was “very disappointed”, but it was not yet clear whether he would appeal. He is now clarifying this in a press release.
“I have decided not to appeal against the verdict,” De Pauw said. “The peace is now more important than the legal battle.” He hopes that this criminal case can now end after four years, “not only for myself, but especially for my family, my relatives, my employees and ultimately for everyone involved in this file”.
In any case, the various parties to the proceedings have 30 days to appeal against the verdict. Both the public prosecutor and lawyer Christine Mussche, who represented 9 women at the trial, have not yet made a decision.
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