“This requires courage to go to the police after so many years,” said the public prosecutor about a sex offense that took place from 1997 to 2006 in Coevorden. The 68-year-old father of the two complains heard a four-year prison sentence against him.
The man was arrested in October 2023, after two daughters reported against him. One of them had already went to the police in 2006. She told her story and showed the text messages of her father who forgiveness in it. The young woman did not dare to report, especially after an agent warned her: “It is your father, hey, know what you get on your neck.”
Her step to the police at the time was also the reason for her sister to tell her story. This happened in a conversation with their mother. A third daughter said that the suspect had also tried it with her. But she hit her father firmly, so it stopped. With the two others, the abuse would have started when they were 12 and 14 years old.
They were unable to cope with their father who was predominant and also had a drinking problem. The fact that after so many years was still made is ‘pure necessity’ according to the public prosecutor. The women got stuck because of their traumatic past. They wanted to make the declaration that their father would admit that he was wrong.
The man was stuck for a few days in 2023. During his interrogation, he denied in the beginning: “I don’t know what you are talking about.” After he was confronted with the SMSs from 2006, in which he asks forgiveness, his attitude changed. He suggested that he might have done this ‘with his drunken head’. He largely confessed and told the agents to be relieved ‘that everything is out’.
During the probation service, the Coevordenaar turned like a leaf on a tree. He had declared under pressure. The touches were not sexually tinted. There was no sexual abuse. He also adopted this negative attitude in court. Shameless, the public prosecutor believed: “I don’t believe it. The official anger comes to mind. It is not so bad that the complainants did not run out of the room.”
The suspect’s lawyer questioned the alleged years of abuse. “Why was this never noticed by girlfriends and others who came to the floor.” The sisters require a total claim of 45,000 euros. The public prosecutor believes that he must be assigned.
The court will rule on July 29.