SCHINNEN/MAASTRICHT - The seven victims in the lewdness case involving suspected swimming instructor Paul F. (50) from Brunssum will be heard again by the examining magistrate. Earlier they already made statements to the police.
The swimming instructor is suspected of abusing young pupils in the swimming pools of Schinnen, Brunssum and Kerkrade. The case, which has been in play since late 2005, was heard yesterday in Maastricht by judges of the Roermond court. This was because a clerk of the Maastricht court had forgotten to prepare minutes of hearings in the case. A total of two criminal cases were involved. The clerk involved was suspended and F.'s case was transferred to Roermond. Serge Weening, Paul F.'s lawyer, asked the Roermond judges to declare the prosecution inadmissible due to the long time span of this case.
"My client was heard about this case for the very first time in December 2005. He has been waiting for the hearing for almost four years now. His interests have been seriously harmed by this." However, the court denied the request. Weening's request to have the seven victims of swimming instructor F. heard by the examining magistrate was granted, however. "But if you can also initially suffice with viewing and listening to the images and audio tapes of the interrogations of the victim children with the police, then that certainly serves the interests of those children," the court added F.'s counsel. Paul F. previously made confessional statements to the police, but these were not allowed to be used as evidence because he had not spoken to his lawyer before those interrogations. The Roermond judges also decided that the accused swimming instructor should be psychiatric examined and that a probation report should be made of him. The case was therefore stayed indefinitely.
