A 29-year-old primary school teacher who molested a 12-year-old pupil during a school trip has been jailed for 180 days by a court in The Hague, but has not been barred from the profession.
The man, who was also given 150 hours of community service, was accused of having climbed into bed with the boy during a school camp in January in the early hours of the morning and touching him sexually. The court said his actions indicated sexual intent.
The teacher denied approaching the boy sexually but did admit climbing onto the top bunk with him and cuddling him.
The court ruled the man had abused his position and violated the trust of pupils and parents. There was no reason, the court said, to doubt the child’s account of the incident.
The man has also been ordered to seek psychological treatment and not try to contact the victim or their parents. He must also report all job changes.
The judge stopped short of barring the man from teaching in the future because experts said the risk that he will offend again is small. In addition, the court said, there is no evidence that the man is sexually attracted to minors.
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