Severe charges dropped in underage forced prostitution case

The Public Prosecutor has significantly reduced the charges against Armin A., the prime suspect in the Valkenburg underage prostitution case. According to 1Limburg, A. is no longer accused of forcing the 16 year old girl into prostitution. A. will now only be prosecuted for inciting a minor into prostitution. Legally speaking that also includes sexual exploitation, According to the Public Prosecutor. A. was initially also charged with forcing her to prostitution by means of threats and violence, for deliberately being present at the fornication of adult men with a minor and for removing the girl from her parental authority. All three these charges have been dropped. The case against A. will begin on Monday. According to A.'s lawyer Arthur Vonken, very little remains to the case against his client. "The only thing that remains is facilitating prostitution. And that is punishable because the girl is underage, but for the sentence that makes an awful lot of a difference." he told RTL. Vonken also said that the initiative for the prostitution came from the girl. According to him, his client kept refusing her, but "eventually participated for her safety". He was not present when the sex happened. This case came to light in January. As many as 80 men have been implicated. Two of these men have committed suicide, one in February and one in March.