Today the trial started against the foster parents of a 10 year old girl from Vlaardingen. She ended up in hospital a few months ago after a serious assault.
According to the Public Prosecution Service the foster parents did that. That is an organization that investigates reports and brings them to court. A lawsuit should now provide more clarity about that.
Abuse
So the girl lived with her foster parents. They are people you can live with if things aren’t going well at home.
A foster family should be a safe place, but for this girl in Vlaardingen this was not the case. Many nasty and intense things allegedly happened.
Many people are shocked and angry that this could happen. Because there were reports that things were not going well with the foster family.
This is a serious case and almost never happens. We will investigate very carefully how this could have happened.
Public Prosecution Service
Today during the trial it became clear that the girl is not doing well yet. She is being treated in a rehabilitation center. That is a kind of hospital. She will probably need care for a long time.
Punishment?
The foster parents will remain in prison for the time being. An investigation is underway into what exactly they did.
Then they think about what punishment these people might receive.
What to do in case of (suspected) child abuse?
If you are experiencing abuse or suspect that you know someone who is, discuss this with an adult you trust.
Together you can see if it is serious enough to report it to Veilig Thuis. You can talk to them chatting and call them on this number: 0800-2000. It is free and they are available day and night.
Are you unsure whether you should report to Veilig Thuis? Then you can contact someone near you at the Youth & Family Center. On this site you can find which number you can call in your area. They can give you advice.
Talk anonymously
And if you want to talk about this topic anonymously as a child, you can always contact the Child Helpline. You can talk to them chatting or call the free telephone number 0800-0432.
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