A 57-year-old man from Halsteren cannot imagine that he has sexually abused his two minor daughters a number of times. The court in Breda thinks very differently. He was given a twenty-month prison sentence for incest on Tuesday. The victims were eleven and twelve when they were groped indecently for the first time in the man’s bed.
The judge also imposed a three-year restraining order on the father to ensure that he cannot come near the girls and their mother. He must also pay both victims compensation of 7,500 euros each. He must also be guided by the probation service and an addiction institution.
Research has shown that the man has been interested in incest for a long time. That is why the court also considers it important that his moral problems are investigated. If he violates these conditions, he will face another ten months in prison. A three-year unconditional prison sentence and a five-year contact and area ban were required.
Mother reported abuse
The fornication was committed between the end of August 2020 and July last year. The case came to light when the eldest girl told a GGD employee that she had been fingered by her father. She and her sister were afraid to tell their mother at first because they didn’t want to hurt her. When the older of the two finally informed her mother, she reported sexual abuse. That was in July last year.
According to the two children, it always happened on Sundays and then their father usually had too much to drink. The girls initially found it nice to be able to lie in one big bed with him. They were allowed to watch movies on a large TV, but it was only later that they realized what their father had planned.
During the trial, both made impressive use of their right to speak. They explained, among other things, that the sexual abuse continues to haunt them. They also shared the mixed feelings they have for their father.
‘Daughters perform a play’
The man himself knew no harm from the prince. He couldn’t imagine that he had overstepped his bounds and said his daughters had put on a ‘play’. The father stated during the trial that due to his alcohol consumption he would no longer know whether he had abused his daughters and, if so, how. The judge found this defense unbelievable and could not agree with the lawyer’s plea either.
The lawyer for the man from Halsteren felt that there was insufficient evidence for what the girls had put forward. He further pointed out that his client was abused in prison during pre-trial detention. He says his client’s life has been destroyed.
The man was also accused of possessing child pornography, but that could not be proven.