Dutch Court Outlaws Controversial Pedophile Club

[News_Editor]

Dutch court outlaws controversial pedophile club < br />

2012-06-28 10:35:01 GMT+7 (ICT)

ASSEN, NETHERLANDS (BNO NEWS) -- A Dutch civil court on Wednesday outlawed a controversial association which advocates for the acceptance of pedophilia, saying its promotion of sexual relations between adults and children violates the country's generally accepted values.

The civil court in the northeastern city of Assen said the association has the right to express its opinion, even if they are unpopular, and that this in itself is not a reason for it to be banned. But the court found posts on the association's website which promote sexual contact between adults and children and portrays children as sex objects.

"The court concludes that the expression of opinions which are unwelcome in the eyes of many is in itself not grounds to issue a ban and dissolve Association Martijn," the court said in its judgement. "The right of association and the right to freedom of expression applies to everyone and thus also to those who have sexual feelings for children."

Nonetheless, the court believed the activities of the association are contrary to generally accepted foundations of the legal system and is therefore contrary to public order. "The court will on this basis declare Association Martijn banned and dissolve it," the ruling said, adding that the group would be dissolved with immediate effect.

Martijn said it plans to appeal the ruling.

"The Association Martijn used multiple platforms to express its beliefs, including a website with material promoting and explicitly describing sex with children," the prosecutor's office said in a statement following the ruling. "In addition the association existed of or added to a digital and social network for like-minded people and those convicted of sex crimes. This formed an (in)direct threat to children which could lead to major damage to a child's physical and mental health."

Association Martijn, which was founded in 1982 and is currently led by Marthijn Uittenbogaard, provided a platform about pedophilia and called for the legal and societal acceptance of sexual relationships between adults and children. The age of consent in the Netherlands is 16, but the group wanted to see this lowered to 12.

In June 2011, an investigation by Dutch prosecutors concluded that it was unable to outlaw the association because it was 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 last year.

The office said it had 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 could also not be linked to Martijn as these were committed outside of the association's work.

The investigation was in part launched after 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. This led to increasing calls for the association to be banned.

The association's former chairman, 67-year-old Ad van den Berg, was arrested last year for possessing a large quantity of child pornography and was later sentenced to 3 years in prison, of which six months are a suspended sentence. Prosecutors said he was in possession of 150,000 photos and 7,500 movies which were described as child pornography, but Van den Berg claimed they were for scientific research.

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 because their identities would be known.

It is believed Martijn was the world's only legally recognized association advocating for the acceptance of pedophilia, although similar associations have existed in other countries in the past.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-06-28

[koheesti]

Mankind won't be truly civilized until we start executing pedophiles.

[JUDAS]

Mankind won't be truly civilized until we start executing pedophiles.

I have a real concern that if we continue down the road of political correctness such groups may actually become commonplace. I wholeheartedly applaud the Dutch decision.

[Steely Dan]

Mankind won't be truly civilized until we start executing pedophiles.

I have a real concern that if we continue down the road of political correctness such groups may actually become commonplace. I wholeheartedly applaud the Dutch decision.

See the UK for a graphic example of what happens when cultural relativity is allowed to trump the laws of the land. Lets hope the Dutch decision serves as an example to neighboring Countries and that laws are enforced consistently and for all.

[aussiebebe]

Mankind won't be truly civilized until we start executing pedophiles.

... or just castrating them, that would stop them. I've often thought it strange that no country, however brutal in other respects, has yet introduced this as a matter of course, I guess because ultimately laws are passed by mostly males! Some countries do chemical castration with the offender's consent.

[mamypoko]

Pretty sure there's a system of castration in US prisons...the first cut is to the throat.

Did I say that?

Edited June 28, 2012 by mamypoko

[Scott]

Castration does not 'cure' pedophilia. It doesn't necessarily stop rapists. The psychological makeup remains the same and they remain a danger to children.

Because someone is physically unable to perform sexually doesn't mean they can't fondle children etc.

[coma]

Castration does not 'cure' pedophilia. It doesn't necessarily stop rapists. The psychological makeup remains the same and they remain a danger to children.

Because someone is physically unable to perform sexually doesn't mean they can't fondle children etc.

Well said that man.

[koheesti]

Castration does not 'cure' pedophilia. It doesn't necessarily stop rapists. The psychological makeup remains the same and they remain a danger to children.

Because someone is physically unable to perform sexually doesn't mean they can't fondle children etc.

This is exactly why if we aren't going to execute them, then they should never be allowed to be let out of prison (which is costly so let's execute them). There is no "cure" for pedophilia just as there is no cure for any other sexual orientation. At least all the others involve consenting adults who have a choice and not defenseless children. OK, bestiality is also messed up but I don't think sheep shaggers are doing any real harm.

[Jingthing]

I saw a documentary a while back about a psychiatric prison facility on Oregon USA (I think) that was basically for pedo offenders only. Legally, almost all of them were destined to be there for life. They were treated humanely and had tolerable living conditions except for the loss of freedom. If I recall they were sent to this more humane facility AFTER they had served their time for criminal charges in regular prisons. What was different is that they were all being treated for a psychiatric condition with the intention of changing them. Many of them were not interested in this, but a minority of them were, and were at least appearing to be trying. The chances of ever getting out even with this treatment was quite remote, but the chance was given. I don't remember reports on statistics. Not saying this situation is ideal, just found it interesting. If very few had any real chance of ever being released and always the question about whether they were actually safe to let out, I wonder if they should have bothered with the treatment part of it in the first place. However, science does advance, and I wouldn't be surprised if more of them can be successfully treated in future so that more can be safely let out. Obviously, serving time for specific crime is one thing, but the bigger social problem is their threat to society if ever let out.

Edited June 28, 2012 by Jingthing

[Scott]

Unless your a sheep, and then you might object.

I'd prefer that we drop the remarks about execution on this particular thread. Your anger is understandable, but there are too many variables involved to get into a legal discussion. For example an 18 year old having sex with a 15 year old is different from a 45 year old raping a 6 month old infant.

[Scott]

I saw a doc a while back about a psychiatric prison facility on Oregon USA (I think) that was basically for pedo offenders only. Legally, almost all of them were destined to be there for life. They were treated humanely and had tolerable living conditions except for the loss of freedom. What was different is that they were all being treated for a psychiatric condition with the intention of changing them. Many of them were not interested in this, but a minority of them were, and were at least appearing to be trying. The chances of ever getting out even with this treatment was quite remote, but the chance was given. I don't remember reports on statistics. Not saying this situation is ideal, just found it interesting. If very few had any real chance of ever being released and always the question about whether they were actually safe to let out, I wonder if they should have bothered with the treatment part of it in the first place. However, science does advance, and I wouldn't be surprised if more of them can be successfully treated in future so that more can be safely let out. Obviously, serving time for specific crime is one thing, but the bigger social problem is their threat to society if ever let out.

There are two types of offenders, fixated and regressed. A regressed offender is amenable to treatment, but a fixated offender is not. Since successful treatment is not easy to predict, both mental health practitioners and courts tend to err on the side of caution.

[koheesti]

Unless your a sheep, and then you might object.

I'd prefer that we drop the remarks about execution on this particular thread. Your anger is understandable, but there are too many variables involved to get into a legal discussion. For example an 18 year old having sex with a 15 year old is different from a 45 year old raping a 6 month old infant.

OK, I'll stop.

But sex between 15 and 18 year olds is not pedophilia.

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Pedophilia

Pedophilia

This article is about the sexual interest in prepubescent children. For the sexual act, see Child sexual abuse. For the primary sexual interest in 11–14 year old pubescents, see Hebephilia. For mid-to-late adolescents (15-19), see Ephebophilia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephebophilia

In research environments, specific terms are used for chronophilias: for instance, ephebophilia to refer to the sexual preference for mid-to-late adolescents,^[1] hebephilia to refer to the sexual preference for earlierpubescent individuals, and pedophilia to refer to the sexual preference for prepubescent children.^[5] However, the term pedophilia is commonly, but incorrectly, used to refer to any sexual interest in minors below the legalage of consent, regardless of their level of physical, mental, or psychological development.^[6] Acting upon ephebophilic preference is illegal when the adolescent is below the legal age of consent (e.g. statutory rape).

Edited June 28, 2012 by koheesti

[pieandmash]

Castration does not 'cure' pedophilia.

It does if you allow them to bleed out after!

[coma]

Castration does not 'cure' pedophilia.

It does if you allow them to bleed out after!

lol!!!

[Steely Dan]

Looking objectively the sole thing concerning any fetish that requires legal sanction are issues of harm done to oneself (arguably) or others. I wonder with this in mind how many potential paedophiles there are whose morality and comprehension of what constitutes harm causes them to suppress their urges and never act on them.

[coma]

This I found to be an interesting read on a study done on 100 Paedophile individuals volunteering for chemical castration. Basically it opens up a whole other can of worms [excuse the punt].

"Sex offending is often not about sex at all, but about violence and domination. The drugs used will not affect those attitudes. Some men may inflict other types of deviant behaviour on victims if they are unable to perform sexually due to the drugs."

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/03/13/chemical-castration-paedophiles-sex-offenders_n_1341112.html

Basically there can be severe, both physical and physcological side effects to the treament, that can turn real bad for both the offender and the public.

As with everything in life. For every action there will be a reaction.

[Scott]

[

I'd prefer that we drop the remarks about execution on this particular thread. Your anger is understandable, but there are too many variables involved to get into a legal discussion. For example an 18 year old having sex with a 15 year old is different from a 45 year old raping a 6 month old infant.

OK, I'll stop.

But sex between 15 and 18 year olds is not pedophilia.

I know it isn't pedophilia, but when you start drawing a line in the sand and legislation is enacted, then you are dealing with a whole different situation. Thus the discussion of execution is best left out of the thread.

[catweazle]

Where the hell is Dexter when you need him???

[samsiam]

Mankind won't be truly civilized until we start executing pedophiles.

This gave me a giggle for some strange reason.

To be honest....I am amazed that the Dutchies even allowed it to exist.....some things do not deserve freedom of speech and this subject of approving a legal association is one of them.