Court: Masseur touched client’s breasts but had no sexual intent
The court in Den Bosch has acquitted a 48-year-old masseur from Den Bosch who was accused of sexually assaulting a young client during a massage, ruling that while he touched her breasts, it was not proven he acted with sexual intent, Omroep Brabant reports.
The case centered on a massage session in 2023, when a then-21-year-old woman booked a full-body massage at the masseur’s home. Prosecutors said the man touched and massaged her breasts without her consent during the session.
The court found that the contact occurred but said it was not convinced the actions met the legal standard for indecent assault. As a result, the man was cleared of the charge.
During the trial, the masseur said he was shocked by how the incident unfolded and said the client experienced the massage very differently from how he intended it. Addressing the allegation directly, he told the court, "I did not knead the breasts. Not at all. It was the chest muscle.” The man stopped offering massages immediately after his arrest, according to court records.
The judges criticized his conduct as unprofessional, saying he failed to communicate adequately with his client and did not take basic precautions during the massage. The court noted that he did not place a towel over the woman’s breasts and provided little explanation about what areas of the body he intended to massage.
The court said it understood that the massage had been an unpleasant experience for the client but concluded that indecent assault had not been proven under Dutch law.
Prosecutors from the OM had sought a 120-hour community service sentence, a one-month suspended prison term, a two-year professional ban, and 750 euros in damages for the complainant.
