Police are investigating several people suspected of making death threats against the children’s author Pim Lammers, who withdrew from this year’s children’s book week after he was accused on social media of promoting child abuse.

Lammers had been due to write a poem for Kinderboekenweek in October, but a row flared up after Christian campaign group Gezin in Gevaar highlighted a story he wrote in 2015 about a relationship between a football coach and a 12-year-old boy.

After he was denounced as a ‘paedophile activist’ and accused of celebrating child abuse by right-wing MP Wybren van Haga, Lammers withdrew from the event. ‘Writing a poem is not worth getting death threats for,’ he said.

Police would not say how many people were being investigated, but said the suspects are also accused of libelling Lammers.

‘The prosecutor’s office has assessed a share of the threats and wants to question the suspects as soon as possible,’ said a spokesman for Midden-Nederland police division.

Several writers spoke out in support of Lammers and took out full-page adverts in national newspapers, while junior culture minister Gunlay Uslu said the behaviour of online inquisitors was ‘worrying and harmful.’ Lammers has vehemently denied the accusations against him.