The court of appeal in 's-Hertogenbosch today ruled on appeal in 27 cases in the so-called Valkenburg vice case. The 27 men were suspected of committing fornication with a 16-year-old prostitute. The prosecution demanded in almost all cases (unconditional) prison sentences of longer duration, whether or not combined with community service.

The court ruled otherwise and acquitted 4 defendants and sentenced 23 defendants to community service with a minimum prison term attached.

4 Exonerations

The court finds that for 4 denying suspects (prosecution numbers 20-002610-15, 20-002611-15, 20-002540-15 and 20-001307-16), it cannot be proven that they performed sexual acts with an underage prostitute and acquits them. In particular, the evidence in those cases is based on the fact that the names of those defendants appeared in the underage prostitute's phone. After listening to the audio clips of the interrogation of the underage prostitute, the court finds the manner in which the names of (possible) clients were stored in that phone insufficiently reliable to infer that the persons stored in the phone had actually committed fornication with her.