Public Prosecution Service demands 14 years imprisonment and TBS in Barendrecht sexual abuse case

The Public Prosecution Service demands 14 years imprisonment and TBS with forced psychiatric treatment against a 46-year-old man from Barendrecht. He is suspected of sexually abusing 31 children. In eighteen cases it involved physical abuse, in thirteen children mainly secretly taking sexually explicit photos and videos. The victims were almost all girlfriends of his own daughter who came to stay over.

The abuse took place from 2011 until his arrest after the summer of 2024, with the peak in the last two years. The suspect developed over the years a method in which he secretly administered a strong sleeping drug to the children just before bedtime - for example by stirring it into a cup of chocolate milk. This caused the children to fall into such a deep sleep that they did not wake up when the suspect performed extensive sexual acts on them. He also made video recordings, lasting from tens of minutes to sometimes almost an hour.

The abuse took place at home, but also at the campsite in Hoeven where girlfriends often came to stay. It started in 2011 and intensified in recent years after the suspect was divorced. 

Awoke

The case came to light in the summer of 2024, when a girl woke up in the middle of the night and noticed that her underwear was down and the suspect was sitting next to her bed. She had already stayed three nights at her girlfriends place and on the fourth evening she did not want chocolate milk before sleeping. The suspect still felt the urge that night, as he called it, even though the girl was not sedated now.

The victim panicked the next day and informed her parents, who picked her up and then went to the police. They started an investigation. The suspect at some point reported himself to the police and eventually, step by step, named the 31 victims. These corresponded with evidence found on his data carriers. Forensic examination of the hairs of some victims also provided evidence for the drugging.

Disorders

Various disorders were diagnosed in the suspect. This makes him partially accountable. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the suspect should be treated for this, to protect society from him.

But in addition, punishment should also be imposed. The suspect knew very well that what he did was not allowed. The mere fact that he drugged the children to prevent them from waking up is a clear indication of this. But instead of seeking help, the suspect looked for new lodgers, said the public prosecutors on Friday in court.

The suspect has grossly abused the trust of the girls who came to stay. The same applies to the trust their parents could have. Because the victimization in this case goes much further. Parents blame themselves enormously for letting their daughter stay with the suspect. And brothers and sisters also notice the consequences.

The Public Prosecution Service demands 14 years imprisonment and TBS with forced psychiatric treatment. The court will announce its verdict on March 3.