Social workers and police are investigating claims of abuse at a children’s home in the Bible belt region of Staphorst, regional paper De Stentor reports on Friday.

One woman who worked at the De Loot children’s home in Nieuwleusen is accused of physically and mentally abusing several children between 1984 and 2010. There are also indications some children may have been sexual abused, the paper says.
Two family members have made formal complaints about the woman, who is said to have beaten children with sticks, tied them to chairs and made them sleep in corridors as a punishment.
Honoured
One complaint was brought by the mother of two children at the home, the second was made independently by the grandfather of two other children.
The woman, who is now 71, was given an honour by the queen in 2007 for her work in the children’s home, De Stentor said.
In 2010, the three children of controversial Amersfoort preacher Gertjan Goldschmeding were put under social worker supervision for a year after their father admitted hitting them as part of their upbringing.
Goldschmeding said he believed in a literal translation of the Bible and uses the Old Testament words ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’ to justify smacking.