Daycare abuse trial to continue with same judges

A special committee of the Amsterdam court on Wednesday rejected defence calls for new judges to be sworn in to hear the case of suspected daycare paedophile Robert Mikelsons.


Mikelsons, 28, is accused of abusing and filming dozens of children at daycare centres and private homes in Amsterdam.
On Tuesday, Mikelsons and his legal team argued the current judging panel has shown itself to be biased towards the parents and the victims. This stems from the court’s decision to allow parents of the children to have their say in court. In the Dutch legal system, only victims themselves can speak.
The special committee’s decision means the trial could continue.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Mikelsons described his sexual feelings for children as a ‘curse’ . ‘I call simply call them a curse, because I never asked for them. They were dumped on me,’ he said.
Mikelsons said he had managed to control his urges for 10 years. ‘I have to ask myself if anyone else in my position could have done so that long,’ news agency ANP quoted him as saying.

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