Conspiracy theorist arrested for threatening RIVM head Van Dissel
Wouter R., 53, was arrested for threatening RIVM director Jaap van Dissel, broadcaster NOS reported. The arrested man is one of three people who claim Van Dissel carried out satanic rituals including infanticide in Bodegraven, Zuid Holland in 1983.
The other two men, Micha K. and Joost K., are not in custody.
R. was arrested in Siddeburen, Groningen. The Public Prosecution Service says he has no permanent address. He is being kept in restrictive custody and will be arraigned on Friday.
"It seems that Wouter has been arrested," Micha K. wrote on Twitter. "His only crime: telling the truth. We have long decided to be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to rescue Holland from the hands of the pedophiles."
Bodegraven was forced to issue an emergency order in February to prevent disturbances at the local cemetery. Conspiracy theorists previously damaged graves of the deceased children. They placed flowers and protest signs on the graves of children who they believe were "murdered by a Satanist pedo network."
The trio then also posted social media content calling on people to attend protest actions at Vredehof cemetery. The municipality recently demanded that the three remove all defamatory statements from social media, which they have not yet done.
Another supporter of the conspiracy theory was sentenced on Wednesday to four months in prison. The man is said to have received praise from R. online after he threatened Van Dissel on Facebook with a post that read: "We will cut you open."
Additionally, two women were previously convicted of trying to incite violence towards Van Dissel. One was given eight weeks in prison, four of which were conditionally suspended. The other was jailed for six weeks, four of which were conditional.
One of those women is a supporter of the conspiracy theorist trio.
Justice authorities said they expect more arrests in the investigation: "We started at the bottom of the pyramid and are now working our way up," they told NOS.
