Youth Care Inspectorate

The help offered to 15-year-old Tharukshan Selvam, who committed suicide early this year after being bullied, fell short, the Youth Care Inspectorate concluded in a report published on Tuesday. School and other aid workers did not cooperate or communicate properly and delayed further aid until after the Christmas holiday, ANP reports.

Forensic pathologist Frank van de Goot has doubts about the suicide of 14-year-old Luciano Ligthart in a closed youth care institution in Deelen last year. After investigating the boy's death, Van der Goot concluded that he either does not have all the information, or that suicide is unlikely, the Gelderlander reports.

The reorganization of child welfare and youth care had no positive effects. On the contrary, waiting lists get longer and longer and there is less staff, while the number of violence reports increase. It regularly happens that a child ends up on a waiting list and sometimes have to wait months for help, while the abuse continues, according to the Youth Care Inspectorate

The number of reports of sexual abuse in youth care facilities increased by 19 percent in 2014. Last year 70 cases of sexual abuse were reported, compared to 59 in 2013.