A new report has found that female detainees at the Nieuwersluis Prison in the Dutch city of Utrecht are routinely the victims of sexual abuse at the hands of prison staff.
The report, by the Justice and Security Inspectorate, said the abuse included sexually oriented remarks, French kissing and oral sex by employees towards the prisoners. There were also incidents of bullying, yelling and cursing.
Minister for Legal Protection, Franc Weerwind said he was “shocked” when he read the report.
“This goes against everything I stand for,” Mr Weerwind said.
The women surveyed said they were afraid to report the behaviour out of concern they would not be believed, or that they would be punished in some way, like being transferred to another facility.
The Inspectorate’s report appeared to agree with this.
“If detainees did dare to file reports, they were not always taken seriously. Sometimes, nothing was done with them, while action must be taken with all reports,” the Inspectorate said.
The investigation also showed that employees routinely made discriminatory and sexist remarks among each other, and also took part in gossiping.
“There is a culture that makes it possible for prison employees to display unethical behaviour, including sexually transgressive behaviour,” the Inspectorate said.
“The living and working environment is not safe enough. Not for prisoners, not for employees,” it said.
“The extent and frequency of unethical behaviour has not been investigated, but after questioning 66 employees and prisoners, the impression has emerged that it is not about isolated incidents.
“It is an ongoing and urgent situation.”
The Inspectorate recommended that at least one female prison employee be present in every area of the prison during its day program.
It also suggested that a hotline be set up where female detainees could anonymously make a complaint without the knowledge of the staff.
The Inspectorate’s investigation began last June after police arrested an employee accused of sexual abuse within the prison. This investigation was later broadened after more reports of misconduct surfaced.
The Hague, 3 June 2023
