A martial arts teacher from Peize has been sentenced on appeal to eighteen months in prison (nine suspended) for sexually abusing a 21-year-old vulnerable student.
He was convicted by the Asser court in March, but appealed. The 56-year-old man admitted at the time that he had had sex with the woman, to whom he gave resilience training in his gym in Roden, but according to him nothing had happened against her will. He therefore did not accept the sentence of eighteen months in prison, six of which were conditional, which he received at the end of March.
But the court in Leeuwarden finds, just like the court, that there was indeed sexual abuse. The court’s ruling shows that the man is now more aware of guilt and has “started taking responsibility.” That and the fact that he stopped working as a teacher and sought psychological help led the court to impose a slightly larger part of the sentence conditionally. The man must actually sit for nine months, instead of a year.
Confidential advisor
The 21-year-old victim came to the Peizenaar’s gym in 2019 to follow resilience training. The woman had been abused in her youth and wanted to gain a stronger footing. She took group lessons and individual training with the man, who quickly became her confidante.
Every now and then he gave her a hug, but at one point he went further by kissing her. She then received a text message in which he wrote that he wanted her to have a positive sexual experience and suggested that she have sex.
The woman later told the police that she agreed because she was afraid of losing her confidant. The two had a sexual relationship for several months. At the end of 2019 she went to the police.
Too serious for community service
The court blames Peizenaar for taking the initiative to commit sexual acts, even though he knew about her psychological problems. According to the court, the woman was unable to “resist this” and the man, as a professional and confidante, should have guarded the boundaries.
His lawyer argued for community service with only a suspended prison sentence. He said that everything had happened during a difficult period in the Peizenaar’s life; the man had lost several loved ones and his wife became seriously ill. The man is now a widower and a prison sentence would mean that his stepdaughters, who live with him, would have to go to a foster family. The court did not take this into account because of the “compelling seriousness” of the case.