The main suspect, a man from Utrecht, was already sentenced to four years in prison in April 2023. His 33-year-old wife was on trial today; Against her, it demands 34 months in prison. Earlier this week, a 28-year-old woman from Purmerend also had to appear in court. 30 months were demanded against her, half of which were conditional.
From victim to perpetrator
The case came to light at the beginning of 2021, when one of the victims reported sexual exploitation. This led to a criminal investigation into the man from Utrecht, who was already sentenced to four years in prison for human trafficking in April 2023. During the investigation, his wife (33) and the woman from Purmerend (28) also came into the picture.
The investigation shows that the woman from Purmerend herself was once the victim of the now convicted man. According to the judiciary, she later proceeded to recruit and exploit young women. She built up a relationship of trust with vulnerable girls by offering them shelter and treating them to things or outings.
Not much later she put pressure on the women: the money had to be repaid, there was a threat of putting sexually tinted images online or the women lost their living space if they did not cooperate. The women were then deployed in prostitution.
Yield of almost a million
According to the judiciary, the suspects placed advertisements from the women, arranged agreements for them and managed the income. The woman from Purmerend worked together with the couple from Utrecht.
The wife of the Utrechtenaar was not a victim of her husband. In fact, according to the OM, she encouraged her husband to increase the coercion on one of the victims, and to have her work for two years. In addition, a daily revenue of 2,000 euros had to be achieved. A victim stated that he had earned between 1,500 and 2,000 euros daily for the couple.
‘Nauseal behavior’
The OM calls the behavior of the suspects “nauseating”. According to the public prosecutor, the victims – young women without a strong social safety net – were consciously selected for their vulnerability. “They may seemed confident, but their attitude was primarily a way to survive under force,” said the officer.
With the criminal requirements, the OM wants to make it clear that reporting is useful. “With this, the OM wants to show that we as a society are behind victims of exploitation and that reporting makes sense. A low punishment is disastrous for the willingness to report and facts if these greatly invisible suffering can remain.”