Victims shocked as Schagen suspect who sexually abused them dies by suicide pre-trial
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The victims of a major sex abuse case in Schagen expressed deep shock and disappointment after the 57-year-old suspect, accused of sexually abusing at least seven minor employees and possessing child pornography, was found dead in his prison cell in Nieuwegein Monday morning, hours before his trial was set to begin.
According to RTL, in a statement issued through Namens de Familie, part of Slachtofferhulp Nederland (Victim Support Netherlands), the victims said, “This news, on the first day of the substantive trial at court, has hit us and our families hard. For us, his choice is telling.”
They added, “With his suicide, the suspect has deprived us of the opportunity for judicial recognition. We had wanted to use our victim statements in court to show him the trauma his actions have caused.”
The victims described the suspect’s behavior as consistent with years of self-centered abuse: “Until the very last moment, he focused on himself. This final denial and flight fit, in our view, the pattern in which he has hurt his victims for years.”
They said they had hoped to address the suspect directly through their statements during the trial, which was scheduled to take place at the Schiphol court over two days. “We had wanted to let him know the trauma we have suffered as a result of his actions,” they said.
The suspect, a 57-year-old snack bar owner, had been accused of sexually abusing at least seven minor employees between 2014 and 2025 and possessing child pornography. Arrested in February, he had been held in pre-trial detention since then. His death led authorities to indefinitely suspend the trial, and prosecution will now stop.
