Helmond wants to revoke award from teacher assistant accused of child sex abuse
The municipality of Helmond wants to revoke the youth medal it awarded to Wesley W., the former teacher assistant accused of sexually abusing 20 children. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) said that W. confessed to most of the crimes, so the municipality sees no reason to wait for a conviction, Omroep Brabant reports.
“In this case, we do not have to wait for a final conviction since the suspect has made a largely confessional statement,” mayor Sjoerd Potters of Helmond told the broadcaster. The municipality awarded the medal to W. (25) for his volunteer work in the city.
W., a now-dismissed teacher assistant at the Mondomijn school in Helmond’s Brandevoort district, is accused of sexually abusing 20 children between 15 April 2019 and 18 September 2024, when he was arrested. According to the broadcaster, his victims are 19 girls and one boy. Several were under the age of 4 when he abused them.
The man was known as very socially involved in Brandevoort. He set up a foundation, Smile per Mile, which organizes rides in cool cars for children with disabilities or serious illnesses. He also coached a football team for children with disabilities in Brandevoort and was active in the children’s holiday club in the neighborhood.
