The suspect who appeared today in the court of Middelburg for complicity in coercion and defamation heard the public prosecutor demand a prison sentence of 18 months, 9 of which are conditional.
According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), the 56-year-old suspect has been the right-hand man of the founder of the organization Maerloo for years. This organization, of which the victim was a member, allegedly influenced the woman to the extent that she was coerced into handing over large sums of money and personal belongings.
Investigations show that the organization placed the victim under guardianship years ago. When the victim was forced to leave the organization in 2018, Maerloo had her sign documents to relinquish her personal belongings. Her jewelry, business administration, and large sums of money were valued at around half a million euros. According to the OM, the suspect facilitated many of these activities. He prepared documents and arranged practical matters.
The OM is also prosecuting the suspect for defamation, as he placed a newspaper advertisement in 2020 falsely claiming that the woman, her son, and their affiliated businesses were bankrupt.
Exerting Control
The victim filed a civil lawsuit against the organization in 2020 to recover her possessions. The court ruled in her favor. However, her belongings have still not been returned.
The OM takes this very seriously. “In these times, it is difficult to distinguish what is true and what is not. When forming an opinion, facts are crucial. The victim was influenced to such an extent that she could no longer form her own opinion and, in that state, relinquished all her valuable possessions,” said the public prosecutor.
“Criminal law is different from injustice. For the injustice primarily inflicted on the victim, I cannot demand a sentence. However, I can and will formulate a demand that I find appropriate in this case regarding complicity in coercion and defamation,” the prosecutor stated.
The OM demands a prison sentence of 18 months, 9 months of which are conditional, with a probation period of two years.
In this case, a second suspect was involved. Due to their death, the case against that suspect has been dismissed.