Swim teacher abuse trial starts

The trial of a 60-year-old swimming teacher, accused of molesting dozens of young girls, begins in Den Bosch on Monday, Nos tv reports.


Benno L was arrested in June 2009 after a computer repairman found hundreds of suspect photographs and films on his computer. L ran a swimming school specialising in teaching handicapped children to swim.
L has admitted abusing a number of girls in his care. He faces three counts of attempted rape, 29 charges of assault and 40 charges of abuse and possession of child pornography. At least 25 of his victims have submitted damages claims.
Germany
He faces 12 years in jail and a period in a psychiatric prison. According to Nos, L, who is German, would like to serve his sentence in his home country after being rejected by his Dutch wife and children.
At the time of his arrest, L was said to have abused at least 100 girls. That figure has now been revised to 57. The first case dates to 1999 but the abuse began in earnest in 2004, Nos quotes the public prosecution department as saying.
The case will be heard over seven days.

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