For assaulting a much younger and vulnerable colleague during work, a 48-year-old man from Hoogeveen has demanded ten months in prison, five of which are conditional.
The sexual abuse came to light in October 2020 when the two were caught by a colleague in the toilet of the company. He went to his boss. Both men were questioned about their sexual excesses in the workplace. According to the suspect, this was done on a voluntary basis. His sexual partner, who is more than 20 years his junior, said that he underwent this against his will.
The younger man suffers from a mental disability, which makes him inclined to obey the elders. Due to his disability, he cannot resist, the prosecutor said. The suspect not only abused his predominance as an elderly person, but also ignored the limitations of the victim, according to the Public Prosecution Service. The prosecutor believes that there is coercion and assumes assault.
A year and a half before the offense, the victim reported to his employer and a colleague that he was bothered by sexual remarks by the suspect. He was addressed on this. Afterwards, the twenties said that it already went further than just comments. The sexual abuse not only took place in the workplace, but also in the toilet in a pub and in the home of a friend of the suspect.
The forty-year-old does not deny this, but the initiative always came from the younger. According to his lawyer, the declarant has a driver’s license, works with difficult machines and a psychological examination shows that he is resilient. “No disability has been detected.” According to him, there can be no talk of dominance and coercion. The counsel thinks that the Hoogevener should be acquitted.
The court will rule on June 28.