Dutch municipality probes sect led by elderly exorcist amid abuse allegations
The municipality of Tubbergen has launched an official investigation into a controversial religious sect that has operated in the region for decades, according to NOS. The group, known as the Pater Pio Stichting, is led by 85-year-old self-proclaimed faith healer and exorcist Trees P., who was previously convicted for physically injuring a follower during an exorcism in the 1990s.
The new investigation, ordered by Mayor Anko Postma, follows mounting allegations of child abuse, corporal punishment, psychological manipulation, child labor, and attempts at so-called "gay conversion" practices within the group. "I want to know exactly who was involved and what we can do to prevent this in the future," Postma said. He also questioned why authorities had not intervened sooner and whether the sect could or should have been stopped earlier.
National politicians are also calling for action. Tweede Kamer members Michiel van Nispen (SP) and Ingrid Michon (VVD) have submitted formal questions in response to recent reports by RTV Oost and De Twentsche Courant Tubantia. Both parties are demanding clarification about what was known, what actions were taken, and what more could be done to address such alleged sectarian abuse.
The reports that prompted political and public outcry include testimony of a disturbing exorcism ritual in which two young sisters, aged 6 and 8, were forced to participate. During the ceremony, sect leader Trees P. reportedly screamed and commanded the girls to pray and sing while a 14-year-old girl—naked under a running shower—was allegedly undergoing an exorcism because she was believed to be possessed by the devil.
Several former child members have since spoken out as adults, describing ongoing trauma from their time in the sect. Among them is Evelien Vaags, the daughter of the woman who had her ears cut during an exorcism led by Trees P. in the 1990s. That incident resulted in a three-month prison sentence for Trees.
"My mother always kept her hair over her ears so it wouldn’t be visible," Vaags told Dutch news program Nieuwsuur. "As a little girl I once asked, ‘Mom, what’s wrong with your ears?’ But she never talked about it. That’s how traumatic it was."
Vaags joined the sect at the age of 6, during a time when her mother was mentally ill and her father turned to Trees P. for help. "Soon after, our entire family was under the sect’s control," she said. Her mother was reportedly tied up and beaten during their time in the group. "It marks your life. An innocent child just deserves a good life," Vaags said.
In 2016, three separate criminal complaints were filed against the sect, but they led to no arrests. According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), some of the alleged offenses had passed the statute of limitations, and other claims lacked sufficient evidence to proceed with prosecution.
A more recent intervention came in 2022, when a Dutch juvenile court ordered the removal of two girls from their home due to abuse. The court cited the mother's affiliation with the Pater Pio Stichting as part of the justification for the decision.
Named after the Italian saint Padre Pio, who died in 1968, the Pater Pio Stichting is headquartered in a farmhouse located between Tubbergen and Almelo. Trees P. claims to communicate with the saint through a magical rosary and has used her claimed connection to attract followers—many of whom were in vulnerable health and reportedly avoided conventional medical care at her urging. Over the years, dozens of people are believed to have joined the sect, with some moving into the farmhouse itself.
Nieuwsuur approached Trees P. for comment, but she declined to respond. A board member of the sect dismissed the allegations of corporal punishment and child labor, saying: "Take it from me, that’s all nonsense. That woman [Trees P.] only does good things. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be given that gift." The board member also said no families with children are currently involved with the group. Earlier this year, Trees P. did speak with regional reporters, though she has since refused further comment.
Mayor Postma has expressed frustration over the lack of tools available to authorities to intervene in suspected sect-related abuse taking place behind closed doors. "Especially at the beginning of my mayoral term here, that was something that truly drove me to despair," he said. He now advocates for the reestablishment of a dedicated reporting hotline for sect-related concerns. A previous hotline was discontinued in 2020.
