Sander Dekker

The Ministry of Justice and Security launched a campaign to prompt victims of sexual violence to seek help. 22 percent of women and 6 percent of men in the Netherlands have been forced to perform sexual acts at least once, but many victims don't dare to talk about it, NOS reports.

The Dutch cabinet is considering a reversal of its policy of decentralizing youth care services following a harshly critical report from the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate. The report, produced with the Ministry of Justice and Security, said that staffing levels in the sector are far too low making it difficult or impossible for families to get help in dealing with either complex issues, or a multitude of issues.

A report stating that Amsterdam is losing the fight against organized crime led to alarmed and shocked reactions from politicians in The Hague. Parliamentarians call on the government to invest more into combating this issue, the Telegraaf reports.

The report stated that the authorities have little insight into drug economy and -crime, that the police have basically given up the fight against drugs, and that the judiciary is failing to tackle real crime structures.

One in 20 elderly people in the Netherlands face abuse. Ministers Hugo de Jonge of Public Health and Sander Dekker for Legal Protection launched a television campaign to increase awareness on how to recognize and report the abuse of the elderly people. New commercials for the campaign will start appearing on television this week.

The Ministry for Legal Protection implemented a number of extra measures and stricter rules for psychiatric institutions that treat prisoners following the murder of Anne Faber, Minister Sander Dekker said in a letter to parliament. The 25-year-old woman was raped and killed by Michael P., who was being treated by such a clinic at the time for the last part of the prison sentence he received for raping two minor girls.

Minister Sander Dekker for Legal Protection called reports that psychiatric prisoners may be involved in the killing of a 72-year-old man in his Lelystad apartment "disturbing". 

The victim was found dead in his home on Sunday. The police believe he was killed somewhere during the weekend of April 19th to 21st. Two men aged 48 and 35 from Almere were arrested for involvement in his murder.

Minister Sander Dakker for Legal Protection acknowledged in a parliamentary debate on Wednesday that he bears political responsibility for mistakes made in the treatment of Michael P., the man who raped and murdered 25-year-old Anne Faber from Utrecht in 2017. At the same time he asked parliament to trust him to also solve the problems. He survived the debate, NU.nl reports.

"I feel the responsibility in my every fiber", Dekker said. "One of my most important tasks is to protect society from people like Michael P." 

Minister Sander Dekker for Legal Protection is working on a law that will prevent judges from only giving community service sentences to people who used violence against aid workers and police officers. In all cases these offenders have to go to jail, even if only for a day, Dekker announced on Tuesday, AD reports.

The police raided three buildings belonging to the Jehovah's Witnesses last month in an investigation into sexual abuse within the religious community. Four homes were also searched, with the goal of finding documents on internal investigations, NU.nl reports.

The Public Prosecution Service launched a criminal investigation into sexual abuse in the faith community of Jehovah's Witnesses, Minister Sander Dekker for Legal Protection said in a letter to parliament. Five people from different regions in the Netherlands filed declarations of sexual abuse, he said, ANP reports.

"At the Public Prosecutor, the declarations were carefully dealt with by specialist sex crime officers in the regions", the Minister said. He previously called on victims to file declarations so that a criminal investigation can be launched. 

The government is planning to close four prisons in the Netherlands, sources told newspaper AD. The prisons need to close because there are too many empty cells in the country, but this will also cause job losses for prison staff.

The prisons in Zoetermeer, Zeist, Almere and Zwaag are on the list to be closed, according to the newspaper. By choosing those prisons, the government hopes to save prisons outside the Randstad, where prison workers will have a harder time finding new work.