Top of documentA Rotterdam court has sentenced a patron of boys' brothels to a jail sentence of 2 1/2 years. He was convicted for having raped several under-age boys from the age of 13, working in boysclubs in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The state prosecution had asked for 4 year imprisonment. The 41 year old man is the first of a group of 26 men to be prosecuted over the next few months for having abused male prostitutes. The court found the fact that the man deliberately abused the prostitutes against their will an aggravating circumstance in the case. If the now convicted man does not seek counselling for sex-offenders he will be imprisoned for another 1/2 year.
Top of documentAs a result of the introduction of automated comparison of archived fingerprints by the BKA (German state police) a suspect has been identified in the murder of a 58-year old Dutch gay man in december 1977 in Zaanstad. As police had found out, the victim, a teacher of ballet, was in the habit of taking home male prostitutes, but despite investigations in this direction and a few well-preserved fingerprints police had not been able make any arrests. Last week however the BKA identified the fingerprints as belonging to a German man currently residing in Pakistan. Holland will ask Pakistan for his extradiction, just 7 months before the term of limitation of the murder would have ended.
Top of documentOn may 4th the Dutch remember those who died during 5 years of NAZI-occupation (1940-1945). While the national remembrance meeting took place at Dam-square, at the homo-monument on Westermarkt the gay community commemorated those who were victimised by the NAZI's for being gay. Some 400 gays and lesbians observed 2 minutes of silence at 20:00 after which Amsterdam's Alderman for social well-being and gay emancipation, mrs. Jikkie van der Giessen in her speech reminded those present that, although much has changed in Holland, the struggle against homophobia and racial discrimination has to go on. In her speech columnist Karin Spaink praised the increased acceptance of homosexuality in Dutch society. She attacked fiercely those who argue against memorial services because once you start forgetting the past it may come back. She pleaded for gays and lesbians to be given their rightfull place in history and reminded those present that as late as the early 80's the gay community was banned from honouring it's dead. While 2 choirs sang funeral hymns flowers were placed on top of the homo-monument.