Second man commits suicide after questioning over sex with 16-year-old

CA second man suspected of having had sex with a 16-year-old girl in what has become known as the Valkenburg loverboy case has committed suicide.

The man had already been questioned by police about the case, which broke late last year when police found the girl and a 21-year-old pimp in a hotel in the Limburg town. The pimp had the names of dozens of clients in his mobile phone who may have had sex with the girl. They also took away dozens of used condoms found in the room for DNA tests.

Now a second possible client has killed himself, officials say they will give the suspects immediate access to counselling after they have been questioned by police. The first man killed himself in early February.

In total, some 50 men are on the suspect list and the public prosecution department expects the initial investigation will take several more weeks. The men face up to four years in jail for paying for sex with a minor. Prostitutes in the Netherlands must be at least 18.

Home visits

The public prosecution department denies the men are being picked up at home or work and taken for questioning.

At the time the case was made public, a department spokesman said the suspects would not be dealt with discretely. ‘Many a marriage partner will be surprised by police at the door,’ the spokesman said at the time.

The public prosecutor said on Tuesday home visits will only be made when several telephone calls are unanswered and that this has not yet happened in this case.

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