The judge will come to you in Tilburg. After the summer, the court will start district justice in two places in the city. So no more going to that big court in Breda, but simply solving a problem together at the table in the community center. Think of debts, truancy, confrontational divorces or petty crime. It is already a success in Eindhoven.
Pleun Wijffels is a criminal judge in Breda and she will be one of the eight to ten district judges. When she was asked to set up district justice in Tilburg North and Tilburg West, she was immediately enthusiastic: “I think this can really help solve problems, so that the neighborhood becomes more pleasant for all residents.”
“After a year of truancy, see how you can get a child to go to school again.”
The court is there for neighborhoods such as Wandelbos Noord, Stokhasselt, Het Zand and Heikant. Wijffels: “There is a lot of nuisance here and people have problems. As a result, their heads are overflowing and they often get into even more problems.”
Wijffels hopes that she can solve problems more quickly, in collaboration with the municipality and social workers. “I sometimes hear from a colleague who has a truant in court. That child often hasn’t been to school for a year. Such a pity that this case will only be dealt with then, because then try to get a child to go to school again.”
Of course, it’s idealism. But experiences with district judges in Eindhoven, Rotterdam and Amsterdam make Wijffels hopeful: “When I see what has already been achieved there, I think it can succeed.”
“People don’t have to stand up for me.”
The court case is different than usual. The suspect must be willing to cooperate, otherwise the case will simply go to the normal court. We do not have a large courthouse here, but use the hall in the community center. The judge does not sit on a platform, but together with the suspect, lawyer, public prosecutor and possibly a debt counselor at the table.
Is Wijffels putting on a toga? “I don’t know yet, we will soon decide together with all the judges.” And do people have to stand up when Wijffels enters? “I don’t really need that.”
District judges also take more time for a case. “In a normal criminal case, attention is also paid to personal circumstances, but here you think about it more emphatically and longer. You ask questions like ‘How are you?’ to find out exactly what is going on.”
But Wijffels is clear about her role: she is not a social worker, she remains a judge: “It is not the case that people with payment arrears can come to me and ask ‘Can you help me?’ Those first responders know that much better than I do. I can link all the problems together and make a decision about it, so that the care provider can move on.”
From September 1, the district judges are at work every Tuesday and Thursday in a Tilburg district center. One time in De Ypelaer, the other time in the Crossroads.
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