The Den Bosch court has sentenced 26-year-old Wesley W. from Helmond to eight years in prison and mandatory psychiatric treatment (tbs) with compulsory care. The Public Prosecution Service had previously requested a fifteen-year prison sentence.
W. abused twenty children over a ten-year period, starting when he was 15 years old. He committed these acts while working as a babysitter in private homes and later as a teaching assistant at a local primary school. It’s horrific that the victims were helpless toddlers to children aged ten years. W. admitted to nearly all the charges and had filmed the abuse. He was arrested in September 2024.
The court stated that the suspect seriously violated the physical and sexual integrity of the children and that his actions had deeply affected their families. Parents now face immense grief and the persistent fear that footage of the abuse might still exist online.
The judges imposed a shorter sentence than requested because they found the defendant less accountable due to his psychological disorders. The court also noted that some offences occurred when he was a minor and that he had fully cooperated with the investigation, including confessing to acts that would have been difficult to prove otherwise.
The ruling sparked an angry reaction from a father present in the courtroom. He shouted at the judges, expressing his disbelief at the length of the sentence and making threats against the defendant.
@anp | NEWSBRAINPORT
