Top Belgian Politician Found Dead After Rape Charge

Former Flemish Socialist Party leader's body pulled from canal
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 3, 2015 4:05 AM CDT
Top Belgian Politician Found Dead After Rape Charge
Stevaert, 60, was found dead in a canal.   (Wikipedia/ArtMechanic)

A leading politician in Belgium has been found dead hours after prosecutors announced that the 60-year-old would face trial for rape, indecent assault, and abuse of office. Police in the city of Hasselt say Steve Stevaert's body was recovered last night, reports the BBC. Stevaert was one of the country's best-known politicians, according to Reuters, having held positions that included leader of the Flemish Socialist Party, governor of Limburg province, and mayor of Hasselt, where he was nicknamed "Steve Stunt" for policies like free public transport. He had strongly denied the rape allegation, which involved a woman he met on the set of a TV show in 2010, the BBC reports. (More Belgium stories.)

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