Teeven: tougher on good conduct certificate

State Secretary Fred Teeven has said that suspects of crimes should not be able to receive a certificate of good conduct VOG.

At present a VOG is not issued to people who have a police record. Suspects who are lucky enough that no report has been made on them can still get one.

Teeven said in a letter to the Second Chamber that the departments that issue the VOG should also look into whether the applicant has been fined for certain offenses. Refusing a VOG on these grounds will prevent that people who have been under suspicion of child abuse find jobs in the daycare sector

The State Secretary wrote that he often encounters applications that he would rather refuse based on the applicant’s police information, but still has to process because the law demands so.  He said he wants integrity to be a consideration.

Teeven wrote that he will submit a proposal for advice before the summer holidays, after which it will be presented to the Second Chamber. So far the opinions from Chamber members are varied, writes Ad.nl. The paper spoke to Magda Berndsen (D66) who said she would be hesitant to give such a proposal her support and Gert-Jan Segers of ChristenUnie who found it sounded arbitrary. Madeleine van Toorenburg (CDA) found that it made good sense to check on someone’s police info if that person wants a job working with children.