A father has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for the death of his 14-year-old son, Jairon, following a trial at the Assize Court in Antwerp, reports indicate.
Rennlhij Manuela, 47, received the sentence on Monday after a jury deliberated for three and a half hours. Four other individuals living in the same household were given suspended sentences of up to three years for failing to provide necessary medical care to the teenager. Prosecutors had requested a 20-year sentence for Manuela and three years for the other defendants.
Body Found Two Months After Death
The case of the deceased adolescent came to light in 2022 when his body was discovered approximately two months after his death in the rented home he shared with his father, a deeply religious man, in Turnhout.
During the trial, it was revealed that the boy had fallen ill but did not receive the medical attention he required. Instead, prayers were offered in the belief that he would recover, even following his death.
