A new treasurer of LARP association Attila in Groningen pocketed thousands of euros almost immediately after taking office last year. While the woman from Appingedam (52) was no longer allowed to decide on her own banking affairs.
The woman received the Attila’s debit card in March last year. “And things went wrong quite quickly,” the police judge noted on Friday in Groningen. She buys books and food for her children, donates money to friends and uses cash to top up her public transport card. The woman herself is absent on Friday.
It is striking that she could become treasurer, because the woman from Appingedam had already been placed under guardianship. A strict measure that requires a curator to make decisions on her behalf. The newly appointed treasurer was therefore declared legally incompetent when she took up the position.
A number of her children were members of the association and when the call came for new board members, the woman offered herself. Her curator – also absent on Friday – was not aware of this. When the fraud comes to light at the end of November and the woman is interrogated by the police, she immediately admits it.
Association was on the verge of collapse due to embezzlement
In total, she embezzled more than 9,000 euros, which caused serious problems for the Groningen LARP association (Live Action Roleplay) for improvisation theater or group role plays. Attila borrowed money to keep her head above water. Their lawyer is asking for the full amount of damages to be refunded. “Not to get this woman into further trouble. It is a pure necessity, so that the association does not go under.”
The woman’s lawyer believes that the association could have done more research into the woman before giving her a financial position. “Financially she is making a mess. Giving her a debit card is like giving a child a match and telling her not to start a fire. It should never have happened, the woman also acknowledges that, but given her situation it is not entirely her fault.”
He is afraid that the debt process that the former treasurer is currently in will be broken with a new claim for damages and asks the judge to impose community service and not to make the amount of damages too high. “Attila is also partly to blame.”
‘Attila is not ABN Amro’
The public prosecutor sees this differently. According to him, the woman has often consciously made the choice over a long period of time to withdraw the association’s debit card. “I blame her for that. I can see that it was not very convenient that she got this position, but it happened.” He demands 120 hours of community service and full compensation for the LARP association.
The police judge sees no fault with the association. “It is not very professional not to check everything about your intended treasurer, but that is self-evident in a hobby club. Attila is not the ABN Amro that carefully checks whether its tokens are safe.”
According to her, the woman took a position that she “knew perfectly well that she had to stay far away from.” That’s tying the cat to the bacon. And it is a considerable amount.” She imposes the required sentence and rules that Attila will get her money back. The State advances it and recovers it from the former treasurer from Appingedam.