Regulator wants insight into charity's spending after child sex abuse arrest, conviction

Director Harmienke Kloze of the CBF, the quality regulator for charitable organizations, has asked the now-defunct foundation Kanjer Wens for clarity. There are questions about how the charity, which fulfilled wishes for terminally ill children, spent money donated to it. Kanjer Wens has refused to answer questions about this since its director was accused of child sex abuse, Omroep Flevoland reports.

In February 2022, the authorities arrested Kanjer Wens director Peter V. on suspicion of sexually abusing underage boys. A year later, he was convicted of violating 13 boys who ranged in age from 8 to 15 years old. He was sentenced to serve nine years in prison and mandatory psychiatric treatment in a TBS institution. The court also convicted V., who was 54 at the time of his arrest, of producing and possessing images depicting the sexual abuse of children.

Years later, many donors say they have no idea what Kanjer Wens did with their money, according to the broadcaster. The CBF cannot force the now-defunct foundation to provide answers. “But that does not mean that the people who were involved with Stichting Kanjer Wens should not feel a moral obligation to provide that information,” Kloeze said.

The CBF removed Kanjer Wens from the list of Recognized Charities a day after V.'s arrest. According to Kloeze, the supervisory board did not respond adequately to its questions, so it could not opt for the less-severe measure of placing Kanjer Wens under increased supervision.

Over two years later, Kanjer Wens still refuses to answer the CBF’s questions. According to the regulator, the people behind the foundation owe their donors these answers.

“They were only able to do their work with the help of these donations, so I think they should still explain what happened to it out of a moral obligation.”