Dutch Roman Catholic Church ‘castrated at least 10 boys’

Two clergymen were convicted of abuse but Mr Heithuis, a victim, was
nonetheless transferred by police to a Catholic psychiatric hospital before
being admitted to the St. Joseph Hospital in Veghel later that year.

There, court papers confirm, he was castrated “at his own request”,
despite no submission of his written consent. Sources told Mr Dohmen that
the surgical removal of testicles was regarded as a treatment for
homosexuality and also as a punishment for those who accused clergy of
sexual abuse.

Cornelius Rogge, 79, a well-known Dutch sculptor whose family knew Mr Heithuis
in the 1950s, reported the castration to an official inquiry into abuse
within the Catholic Church. But his evidence was ignored.

“We once asked Henk to drop his pants when the women were gone. He did
that. He was maimed totally. It was a huge shock,” he said.

Last December, an official investigation by Wim Deetman, a former Dutch
minister, received 1,800 reports of sexual abuse by clergy or volunteers
within Dutch Catholic dioceses in the period since 1945.

The Deetman inquiry received a report of the Heithuis case from Mr Rogge but
it was not followed up because “there were few leads for further
research”.

Evidence emerged on Monday that government inspectors were aware that minors
were being castrated while in Catholic-run psychiatric institutions.

Minutes of meetings held in the 1950s show that inspectors were present when
castrations were discussed. The documents also reveal that the Catholic
staff did not think parents needed to be involved.

There are also allegations that Vic Marijnen, a former Dutch Prime Minister,
who died in 1975, was linked to the case.

In 1956, Mr Marijnen was the chairman of the Gelderland children’s home where
Mr Heithuis and other children were abused. He intervened to have prison
sentences dropped against several priests convicted of abusing children.

Dutch MPs will today (TUES) call for a parliamentary investigation into the
allegations.

“I am shocked that boys were being castrated in the 1950s,” said
Khadija Arib, a Labour MP. “I want an independent investigation. We
must find out how many cases there were, who knew about it and why the
government did not act.”

Evidence emerged on Monday that government inspectors were aware that minors
were being castrated while in Catholic-run psychiatric institutions.

Minutes of meetings held in the 1950s show that inspectors were present when
castrations were discussed. The documents also reveal that the Catholic
staff did not think parents needed to be involved.

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