Teacher at Int'l School in The Hague convicted of rape briefly worked at another school

A former science teacher and mentor at the International School of The Hague (ISH) who was recently sentenced for the rape of a 13-year-old student had a brief stint working at another local school as a temporary staffer. The teacher, identified as A.S., was able to get the role as a substitute physics teacher at the Maris College after he was fired by ISH, a Maris College spokesperson told Omroep West. Some parents at ISH who spoke with NL Times said they are aggravated at how ISH has communicated with them about the situation, but the school says they were kept in the dark by the authorities since A.S. was arrested.

The sexual abuse of the 13-year-old ISH student occurred between June and November 2023, when she was admitted to a psychiatric facility. She told the District Court of The Hague that she had been having sex with him weekly, but only later came to understand that she was too young to give consent, and was scared during their interactions. The case came to light in early 2024 when the girl, accompanied by a friend, reported the incidents to the police. It was only brought to trial in January.

The girl explained that contact with the 36-year-old teacher outside of school began when he walked her home. "He started talking about how sex is a good drug. That instead of drugs it would be better to masturbate," she said. Then he later asked her on June 24, 2023, to spend the night at his home, and have sex with him. She was 13 at the time, and he was married.

Testimony provided to the court went into graphic detail about the allegations of frequent incidents of sexual abuse and rape that occurred over the extended period. When he penetrated the victim, he did so without a condom, she said. He bought her the morning-after pill several times, and encouraged her to buy it on her own, as well.

The allegations of abuse regarded incidents that took place at his residence, her home, and a in a nearby wooded area. He also used a sexual device on the victim, she said. When he was arrested, forensic investigators found a sex toy in the man's home. Samples taken from the device matched the girl's DNA, the court was told.

In February, the District Court of The Hague convicted the teacher, and sentenced him to 42 months in prison, with one year suspended. He was also handed a 7.5-year professional ban from working in education. The court found that the teacher was aware of the girl's significant emotional vulnerabilities and gradually fostered a dependency. The victim is now at another school and is said to be doing well. Her testimony was instrumental in the case against him, court records show.

The International School of The Hague said the victim rarely attended classed during the 2023-2024 academic year, and left the school entirely near the end of the school calendar, according to a letter the school sent to parents last month. It had previously suspended A.S. in June 2023 for having contact with the student outside of school hours, a violation of school policy. He was subsequently dismissed a month later after continuing the contact, having worked at the school since 2015.

The school said it was concerned about his behavior and immediately notified the police and the relevant inspectorate service when the teacher was suspended. He was not previously suspected or accused of misconduct, ISH wrote. It also notified the Executive Board of its parent organization, Rijnlands Lyceum.

But the school said they were told that police dropped the case in August 2023 due to a lack of evidence. When the teacher was arrested in the Spring of 2024, police officers said it did not concern events connected to the school. The police also did not contact the school when the case was brought to trial as promised, the school claimed. They only learned of the trial once A.S. was convicted in February, ISH told parents two weeks ago.

School officials have expressed shock at the details of the case and the teacher's subsequent employment at Maris College, according to Omroep West. The spokesperson for Maris College confirmed that the former ISH teacher held a temporary position as a substitute physics teacher for a few months starting at the end of February 2024.

A.S. stopped reporting for duty in May without any communication, the secondary school said. The school believes his disappearance coincided with his arrest in connection with the rape of the ISH student.

Notably, Maris College did not seek references from the International School of The Hague before hiring A.S. for the short-term assignment. "It was for a brief period, and at the time, he possessed a Certificate of Good Conduct," the Maris College spokesperson explained to Omroep West. ISH also told parents that A.S. not only held the certificate, or VOG, but that up-to-date versions were presented during his eight years working there.

"The school was not informed of the court case and did not know that the former teacher had been convicted until 10 March," a spokesperson from ISH said. "Within two weeks the school informed staff, parents and students."

ISH said it has received praise for how it dealt with the situation, considering how the school also has new leadership since the firing of A.S. Not everyone in the school agrees.

Some parents of children enrolled at ISH have been dismayed by the situation, telling NL Times they feel like the school breached their trust. One parent said they believe the school was trying to prevent the news from emerging, and was not forthcoming about any mistakes the school may have made in the past.

"A lot of people might end up leaving because of this," the parent said. They were also unnerved that the school did not discuss the situation with the school community for about six weeks after A.S. was convicted.

The International School of The Hague said it needed time after learning of the conviction to put a comprehensive plan together that not only addressed concerns of staff and parents, but also had resources ready for children attending the school. The school did organize dates last week for students to discuss the situation in groups, and the staff at ISH was informed a few days prior to that.

Aside from the letter, parents were able to attend two different meetings to discuss the matter. The school is now providing support and counseling to students, parents, and staff.