One of Gerrit Jan van D.’s children, who were hidden for years in a farm in Ruinerwold, calls leaving the farm “the best decision of his life”. In October 2019, this Israel sought help, which prompted the police to find the farm family.
On October 14, 2019, the police found a father with five adult children in a farm in the Drenthe town. Officers had raided because the sixth child, Israel, had asked for help.
It later turned out that the children, despite their age of 18 to 25 years, had never been registered with the municipality. The children and their father had lived isolated in the farm for years.
Complicated situation
On Instagram, Israel shares a small part of his life after police raided the farm. The message comes on the day the first episode of a four-part series about the family airs on TV. A small part of the broadcast can already be seen on the website from RTV Drenthe.
In the documentary, Israel, along with two older brothers and a sister, tells about their shared past. Israel writes that he hopes viewers will “gain a little more insight into the complex situation as we have experienced it.”
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