Dutchman took 9-year-old son to illegal rave in Belgium; Caught with 100 g amphetamine

A 36-year-old Dutchman is facing a hefty prison sentence because he took his 9-year-old son to an illegal rave in the Belgian Limburg in April and was caught with over 100 grams of amphetamine. The Belgian prosecutor demanded 15 months in prison and a fine of 8,000 euros against the man on Wednesday, AD reports.

The prosecutor severely criticized the man for endangering his son by taking him to the illegal rave in Brustem, not far from the Dutch border. “The day before, he went to Plopsa Aqua with the boy. A day later, he took him to Brustem.”

The illegal rave near Maastricht drew so many people that the police decided not to break it up for fear of causing riots. Instead, they tried to manage the crowds by checking cars heading for or leaving the site.

The Dutchman was caught during one such check. He confessed that he had been at the rave. The police found 121 grams of amphetamine and ketamine while searching his motorhome with a drug dog.

In the court in Tongeren on Wednesday, the man argued that the amphetamine was for his ADHD. “It works much better than the prescribed medication.” He also pointed out that he asked the police to arrest him “out of sight of my son.”

The man’s lawyer argued that the police search of the vehicle was unlawful. He claimed that the police only pulled over the camper with Dutch number plates because of the rave and for no other reason. According to the lawyer, everything that followed from the search of the vehicle should therefore be declared invalid. He also demanded 4,000 euros in compensation for damage done to the camper. “Even the seats of his vehicle were slashed.”

The court will rule on June 21.