Court rules lower than prosecution recommendation in sexual abuse case of seven girls

The Court of Appeal in Den Bosch has handed down lower sentences than the prosecutor’s recommendations for Peter S., 63, and Nancy D., 57, who were convicted of sexually abusing seven children they were caring for near Eindhoven. S. received eight years in prison plus compulsory psychiatric treatment, while D. was sentenced to 14 years in prison and placed under a supervision measure.

On appeal, the Public Prosecution Service had recommended 18 years in prison and psychiatric treatment at a TBS facility for both suspects. However, the court ruled that such a sentence was not appropriate, noting that it was out of step with penalties typically imposed in comparable cases.

The court ruled that the woman sexually abused seven girls aged between 1 and 6 during 28 babysitting sessions from September 2019 to June 2021. The man occasionally observed through video calls with D. The case came to light when parents checked recordings from a bedroom camera they had installed because their daughter had trouble sleeping.

The court stated that the defendants were solely focused on their own sexual desires, with no consideration for the feelings or well-being of the girls, who were treated as mere objects.

In March 2023, both defendants were sentenced to 12 years in prison by the court. At that time, only the man was additionally ordered to undergo TBS with compulsory treatment.

On appeal, only S. was ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment, based on expert assessments that identified multiple serious disorders and a high likelihood of reoffending.

For D., no psychiatric treatment was advised, as her risk of reoffending was assessed as moderate. Instead, the supervision measure allows for long-term monitoring after she completes her prison sentence.