Posted on 07/13/2008 11:04:36 AM PDT by knighthawk
THE HAGUE, 12/07/08 - Fokke Fernhout, the former vice-president of the Maastricht district court, was found guilty Friday of possession of child pornography. But he is not being penalised.
Eleven very explicit videotapes with titles such as 'Boys for Sale' and 'Sweet Little Boys' were found in 2001 in the judge's home by a construction worker. He was renovating the floor under which the material was hidden. Fernhout eventually seemed to be facing a jail term. But after numerous appeals, in which the sentence got lower and lower, he now gets away without any penalty at all.
In 2004, before a district court, the Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) had demanded 15 months in prison, five of which suspended, for Fernhout. The court gave him a suspended prison sentence of three months and a 2500 euro fine.
Later, before an appeal court in Arnhem, the OM demanded 180 hours of community service and a suspended prison sentence of three months. The appeal court sentenced Fernhout to a suspended prison sentence of one month.
Last January, the Supreme Court quashed the appeal court's ruling due to a technical error. Fernhout had criticised the technique whereby an expert verified that at least two of the videotapes depicted boys under the age of 16. According to the Supreme Court, the appeal court failed to substantiate its decision that this criticism was unjust.
The Supreme Court then referred the case back to another appeal court, that of The Hague. This court decided on Friday not to impose any sentence on the ex-judge. The 51 year old Fernhout has been punished enough already, because he saw no other option than to resign from his job, according to the verdict.
In 2004, the OM initially intended to prosecute the judge also for alleged sexual abuse of his foster son. But it dropped the sexual abuse charge. The conservatives (VVD) and Labour (PvdA) suggested at the time that then Justice Minister Donner had personally had a hand in that decision. Donner is now Social Affairs Minister.
Ping
What is it about Belgium and the Netherlands and pedophilia? It appears to be remarkably popular among government types there.
Probably the same thing that afflicts VT, so "liberal," read libertine, they are unable to pass judgment on anything, particularly of a sexual nature.
Ahh yes...the perv ex-judge is now free to practice his pedophilic hobby in retirement unhindered by formalities! Justice once again skewed by black robed fellow tyrants!
Been to Holland lately? Last time I was there I saw decaying buildings, stink of garbage, urine in the streets, druggies passed out on the sidewalk, skinny, deseased-looking prostitutes staring blankly out of their rooms on Window Street. The very flower of a dying, deseased Europe.
Indeed. And they laugh at us?
I was in Amsterdam last week, and compared to most of Europe it was fairly clean and cleaner than most American cities. I have a suspicion that we may have traveled to different parts of the city than you did—we just traveled downtown, and cruised the canals..
Hehehe, I live in Holland. But in the good part, the south. I guess you have been in Amsterdam or maybe Rotterdam. There it is really bad and I never want to go there again.
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