Foster children beaten, forced into “child labor” and bitten by dogs, court finds

Two foster children aged 9 and 10 have been abused for years by their foster parent, AD has reported. The children were beaten by their caregivers and even bitten by a dog while being forced to perform “child labor.” The organization responsible for their supervision was the same one involved in the case of the Vlaardingen girl, who suffered severe abuse by her foster parents.

The juvenile court ruled that the children be removed from the foster parents. The court found the children’s testimony reliable and saw no signs of outside interference.

The children stated in court that the abuse began about a month after they had been placed in foster care. They were forced to clean animal pens, work in the barn, and perform general cleaning duties, including handling dead animals, at the farm where they were staying in northern Netherlands.

Punishments for not completing these tasks on time included not being given any dinner, being hit with an open or closed hand, and being pulled by the ears. The abuse came to light when the nine-year-old girl arrived at school with untreated wounds from a dog bite.

The William Schrikker Foundation, responsible for the children’s care, had already expressed concerns. The children appeared unkempt, wore unsuitable clothing, and had greasy hair. Their father had also been worried about the state of their care.

This is the second time the foundation has been linked to a case of child abuse. The organization also oversaw the care of a 10-year-old foster girl from Vlaardingen, who suffered severe abuse, like being chained by her foster father and forced to stand in a cage, and ended up in a coma. They were criticized for their failings during the incidents.

Director Pim van Uchelen stressed that lessons were learned from the Vlaardingen case. “As soon as there were signs of systematic abuse, we acted to secure the children’s safety. What happened to her is terrible, and it took far too long to address.” He could not explain how the abuse went unnoticed for so long. “Unlike in Vlaardingen, we took immediate action this time.”