Friday, March 16, 2007

Nepal: Orphanage Director Arrested for Sexual Abuse

In February, Henk Molhuysen, the Dutch director of a Nepali orphanage was arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing children in his care.

Local Nepali police investigating the case reportedly believe that Molhuysen may have abused "almost all of the 48 children" in the home.

A few weeks after his arrest, press reports confirmed that this man had had earlier convictions for child abuse including one in Spain in 1995 for child rape. He had received an eight year prison sentence for this crime, but apparently did not serve the whole term. Instead, he was returned to the Netherlands where he was released by Dutch authorities two years later.

Molhuysen founded the orphanage--a home for Nepali street children--in Nepal six years later, in 2003. The home is financed by a Dutch foundation.

Initially there was worry that the abused children would end up back on the streets after Molhuysen's arrest, but Childright, another NGO, said that it would keep this from happening. A 19 year old Dutch volunteer assumed directorship of the orphanage after Molhuysen's arrest.

NL charity in Nepal child sex abuse probe, Dutch News.nl, 02/16/07

Abuse suspect has previous convictions, Dutch News.nl, 02/28/07

Desiree

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