A twenty-year-old man from Zelhem, Gelderland, is on trial on suspicion of abusing fourteen toddlers during swimming lessons. This happened during the suspect’s internship at the swimming pool in his hometown.
The victims are between four and six years old. The abuse allegedly took place between the end of August and the beginning of December 2024.
The public prosecutor announced the charges on Tuesday afternoon during the first preliminary hearing in the court in Zutphen. The Public Prosecution Service is prosecuting the man in the case of eleven of the fourteen toddlers for rape. In the three other cases, there is a charge of indecent assault.
In addition, the suspect allegedly committed indecent acts with a six-year-old girl in Hengelo in January 2024. Furthermore, the man allegedly possessed images of child abuse.
The suspect was not present at the hearing. He is currently free under conditions. He must be present in court for the substantive hearing of his case. It is not yet known when that will be.
Part of hearing behind closed doors
Part of the hearing took place behind closed doors. The court agreed to this under high exception. “This feels very strange. The starting point is openness, which the court attaches importance to,” said the court chairman. In the closed part of the hearing, the suspect’s lawyer heard a number of witnesses.
The suspicions came to light in December after reports from several parents. The police then started an investigation into sexual offenses and arrested the intern.