NETHERLANDS
Radio Netherlands

The Samson Committee investigating the abuse of children in state care in the Netherlands since 1945 is accusing the entire system—from the government to the foster care service to care homes themselves—of failing to do enough to protect children against sexual abuse.

In releasing its final report Monday, tellingly titled “Surrounded by care, still not safe”, the Committee said it would send 42 sexual abuse files to public prosecutors for consideration—this out of the 800 claims it received in the two years since it’s been investigating sexual abuse cases of children in care.

“We don’t have any insight into the criteria they used for sending cases to the public prosecutor, but they must have reason to think they can still make cases after all these years,” says Jolien Verweij, spokesperson for the Dutch NGO Defence for Children International. “But any chance to do something is good.”