Dutch mother accused in Dalfsen child abduction released pending trial under conditions
A 46-year-old woman from Enschede accused of abducting her two children in Dalfsen is temporarily free while awaiting trial, authorities said. The case, which prompted a national Amber Alert last year, ended with the children being recovered in Belgium following a cross-border police operation that also involved Germany.
The Overijssel District Court confirmed to RTV Oost that the woman was released earlier this week. She remains a suspect and is subject to strict conditions, including contact restrictions, area bans, and a mandatory reporting requirement with probation services. Her husband, 55, who is a lawyer, has been allowed to remain free pending trial since November.
Both parents are scheduled to appear before the court in Zwolle on May 28 for the substantive hearing in their criminal case. A third suspect, the mother’s sister, is scheduled to appear in court one week later. Prosecutors say she assisted in preparing the abduction and was aware of the couple’s plans.
The children, an 11-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy, had been living in foster care. On the morning of the abduction, they were taken by their parents while on their way to school in Dalfsen. Prosecutors say the parents used violence during the incident.
The Public Prosecution Service alleges the mother threatened one of the children with a taser. The children were forced into a vehicle and transported to an apartment in Oudenaarde, Belgium. Investigators say the route included a detour through Germany, which they believe was intended to mislead law enforcement. The children were also made to wear a wig during stops to refuel.
Police located the group later that same night. Officers arrested the parents inside the apartment complex in Oudenaarde, and the children were taken into protective custody.
