14 years jail recommended for man accused of sexually abusing 31 girls in Barendrecht

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has recommended 14 years in prison and compulsory psychiatric care at a TBS facility against 46-year-old Mels van B., who is accused of sexually abusing young girls over a period of several years.

Van B. has provided a statement detailing the systematic abuse of his daughter and her friends during overnight stays at his properties in Barendrecht and Hoeven. The suspect admitted to using sedatives to incapacitate the minors, subsequently documenting the assaults on film. The investigation confirms that the victims were primarily targeted within his private domestic circle and a holiday location in Noord-Brabant.

The prosecution’s sentence recommendations cover both the abuse of drugged girls and the production and possession of child sex abuse videos. Following his arrest in September 2024, authorities discovered on Van B.’s hard drives both images he had created and a vast collection of downloaded child sex abuse videos. The OM reports that 18 girls were physically abused, and Van B. secretly photographed several others.

At the start of the fourth day of his trial, he told the court, “I failed to prevent the abuse. I could have stopped it, but I repeatedly made the wrong decisions. I take responsibility for my actions and their impact on everyone involved,” responding to statements from parents who spoke the day before.

Van B. acknowledged that he had the chance to speak with a psychologist about his issues. “I deeply regret not telling them I had a serious problem. If I had, things likely would have turned out very differently,” he said.

The OM describes the suspect as “highly cunning and methodical” in his actions. Experts from the Pieter Baan Center (PBC) diagnosed him with multiple disorders, including pedophilia and hypersexuality, and assessed a high risk of recidivism. The PBC considers him partially legally responsible, a conclusion the prosecution has endorsed. Van B. stated that he does not want to “hide behind my disorders.”

According to prosecutors, Van B.’s disorders do not reduce his guilt. He has inflicted an “unimaginable amount of suffering” on the victims, their parents, and other relatives, the public prosecutor said, emphasizing that this harm must first be addressed in justifying the requested prison term.

The case against Van B. came to light in August 2024, when one of the victims woke during the abuse and her mother filed a report. Van B. surrendered to the police in September, after which the full scale of the crimes emerged. Prosecutors describe the evidence as “overwhelming,” citing extensive footage, the suspect’s confessions, and testimonies from the victims.

The suspect told the parents that he had not distributed any recordings of the abuse and no longer has any in his possession. “I hope that offers some measure of comfort,” he added.

On Friday, four more victims’ statements were heard in court under the right to address the tribunal. Each statement underscored the profound impact the abuse has had on the families.

In total, 63 claims for compensation have been submitted, filed both on behalf of individual victims and by their parents. In her closing remarks, one of the victims’ lawyers praised the parents for their resilience. “They have remained strong. I have a great deal of respect for that,” she said.

The trial against Van B. resumes on Monday with his lawyers’ plea. The court plans to announce its verdict on March 3.