A convicted rapist, Yassine Akki, has stepped down as the Socialist Party’s nominee for councilman in Brussels’ Molenbeek municipality after his criminal past surfaced.
Journalists revealed Akki’s 2001 conviction for raping a minor, for which he received a four-year sentence, half of it suspended. In 1998, he had also been sentenced to a 10-month suspended term for burglary. Despite these records, Akki had been serving as president of the Port of Brussels since 2020 and as a city council member in the last term.
The Socialist Party (PS) and its Marxist partner (PTB) had known about Akki’s history, with reports indicating that key figures, including PS president Ahmed Laaouej and Molenbeek mayor Catherine Moureaux, had received his criminal record. However, internal party opposition to his nomination had been ignored. Public backlash prompted Akki to step aside, citing his dedication to Molenbeek residents and the need to avoid disrupting the coalition’s formation.
The PS defended Akki, stating that the convictions were nearly 30 years old and that he had since rehabilitated, built a family, and dedicated himself to helping Molenbeek’s disadvantaged. Akki remains a municipal councillor, minimizing the political impact of his withdrawal, with outgoing alderman Jamel Azaoum likely to replace him.
Critics were not as forgiving. Green Party councillor Hilde Sagon argued that Molenbeek’s residents deserve leaders with integrity, while Liberal MR politician Mathieu Bihet insisted Akki’s history disqualifies him from a position demanding exemplary behavior. The scandal adds to the Socialist Party’s troubles, including accusations of welfare mismanagement and its controversial alliance with the far-left Marxist Workers’ Party in a district previously linked to terrorism concerns.
