No change to Vlaardingen girl's medical condition after severe abuse by foster parents

The medical condition of a girl from Vlaardingen who was severely wounded due to an assault by her foster parents is unchanged. “Sadly, she will be in intensive care for the rest of her life,” said the prosecutor on Wednesday in the court in Rotterdam.

“She is receiving the care she needs every day. Her mother and younger sister have weekly contact with the girl. That is very important for the mother and of real value,” said the prosecutor.

Foster father Johnny van den B. and foster mother Daisy W., both 38 years old, were arrested after their 10-year-old foster child was taken in at the hospital with severe injuries. Her injuries included brain damage and broken bones, and this led to her being comatose for some time.

The two suspects were not present in court. The foster mother has been taken to the Pieter Baan Centre, which is a forensic psychiatric observation clinic. The foster father will also be sent there soon. Both suspects will be admitted to the center for six weeks, four weeks of which will overlap.

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has not yet responded to the conclusions stated in the reports by the Health and Youthcare Inspectorate and the Inspectorate of Justice and Security. The girl was left to her fate, and the authorities involved did not cooperate well, the inspectors recently concluded. The OM only has the factual version of the report and has requested the full report from the inspections.

“The OM understands that the information that has come out as a result of the investigation will bring up certain questions, also with regards to tracking and prosecution. The OM will carefully inspect the report after they receive it. Only after this can something be said about possible prosecution,” said the prosecutor.

There was also criticism for the lack of performance of the William Schrikker Foundation in its role as guardian of the girl and Enver, the foster care organization that placed the girl with the foster parents. Two people from Enver and two people from the foundation will be heard as witnesses by the investigating judge.

Both suspects have been charged with assaulting three other foster children. Their case will be dealt with in detail on November 6 and November 7, with a possible extra day on November 11. The next preparatory hearing is on May 7.