Publisher Van Dale has scrapped plans to produce a special censored version of a Dutch language dictionary for five primary schools in the Bible belt town of Staphorst. The dictionary, without swear words or references to sex, would compromise the company’s independence, director Herman Stuijlart said on Thursday evening.

‘Reactions [to the dictionary] have called Van Dale’s independence into question… it has been decided to cancel this production,’ Stuijlart said. ‘We are a commercial company. We could have earned a lot with this product. But if the publication is so damaging to our reputation, we should not do it.’
Two directors from the schools were closely involved in picking which words should be taken out.