Dutch prosecutors unable to outlaw pedophile club

Dutch prosecutors unable to outlaw pedophile club

2011-06-18 21:46:58 GMT+7 (ICT)

ROTTERDAM (BNO NEWS) -- An investigation by Dutch prosecutors has concluded that it is unable to outlaw a controversial association which advocates for the acceptance of pedophilia, the country's prosecutor's office said on Saturday.

Association Martijn, which was founded in 1982 and is currently led by 67-year-old Ad van den Berg, provides a platform about pedophilia and strives for the legal and societal acceptance of sexual relationships between adults and children. The age of consent in the Netherlands is 16.

But in the wake of several criminal cases involving the sexual abuse of children, Dutch prosecutors launched an exploratory investigation to determine whether it would be possible to prosecute Martijn or whether it is possible to outlaw the association.

But the investigation found that the association is acting legally, even though crimes have been linked to Martijn. "From the investigation it has been determined that even though (ex)-members of Martijn are frequently suspected, if not convicted, of possessing child pornography, the actual criminal acts take place outside of the association," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

The office said it has been unable to find evidence of illegal acts being carried out through the website, and it notes that the association's statutes explicitly say it strives to act "within the limits of Dutch law." Crimes committed by both former and current association leaders can also not be linked to Martijn as these were committed outside of the association's work.

The investigation by Dutch prosecutors was partly launched after the discovery that 27-year-old Robert Mikelsons sexually abused at least 87 children while being employed at two Amsterdam nurseries between February 2007 and January 2010. He also offered his services through several websites, and his 37-year-old husband was found to be a former member of Martijn.

Earlier this year, Dutch police arrested Van den Berg for possessing a 'large quantity' of child pornography. He eventually began a hunger strike and threatened to continue until his death, but he stopped after 10 days when he said he wanted to be strong for his court appearances.

Van den Berg is also known for founding a political party known as the Party for Neighbourly Love, Freedom, and Diversity (PVND) in May 2006. The party called for the legalization of child pornography and to abolish the age of consent, but was dissolved in 2010 after it failed to get on the ballot due to a lack of required signatures. PVND argued that its supporters were afraid to sign.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-06-18