35-year-old André N. from Werkendam, who is suspected of sexually abusing four boys, is allowed to leave prison. He may await the hearing of his case at home. The Middelburg court determined this on Thursday. N. was imprisoned for more than ten months.
An important reason for his release is that there is no prospect of a substantive hearing in the short term, writes Omroep Zeeland. The court also takes into account that André N. suffers from psychological problems for which he cannot be treated in prison.
The suspect must meet strict conditions. For example, he is banned from contact with the alleged victims, a location ban for some areas and he must cooperate with treatment.
Find an expert
There are several reasons why the lawsuit cannot yet be heard. It is proving difficult to find an expert who can conduct research into Andre N’s psychological health in the short term.
Someone has now been found, but he cannot start the investigation until the end of April. A report will not be ready until June at the earliest. Witnesses also still have to be heard and that will happen in early April.
Moreover, it will be difficult to find a suitable date for the case. It is estimated that it will take a day and a half. There will probably only be time for that after the summer.
Who is André N.?
34-year-old André N. was arrested in April last year. He is suspected of committing sexual acts with a 15-year-old boy and raping three boys between the ages of 16 and 18. One of them comes from Werkendam, the other two from the province of Zeeland and the Veluwe.
N. is also being prosecuted for violating his official secrecy. For example, he allegedly shared police information with the alleged victims.
The news of his arrest hit the Christian world and beyond like a bombshell. N. was a police officer in the Rotterdam unit and a well-known organist in churches.
He has been out of the closet since 2020. In an earlier interview he stated that he wanted to live as a celibate gay man. Homosexuality is a difficult subject within the reformed world and that is why he has a lot of contact with young people who struggle with those feelings.
Emotional
André N. himself was not present at the preparatory hearing on Thursday. There were several family members there. They reacted emotionally when the court announced that he could go home on Friday.
The question of whether there was coercion will play a major role in the substantive treatment of the case. André N. has confessed to having performed sexual acts with the boys and regrets it, but he denies that there was any coercion.
New law
According to his lawyer, this is not apparent from the boys’ statements. For example, one of them says: “I have never been forced to do something I didn’t want to do.” Another victim speaks of coercion, but according to the lawyer there is insufficient evidence for this. However, the Public Prosecution Service suspects André N. of three rapes and assumes coercion.
The criminal offenses involved in this case were committed before July 1, 2024. This means that there must be hard evidence that the boys were coerced. Since July 1, 2024, the New Sexual Offenses Act has come into effect and the bar for proving rape or sexual assault has been lowered.
