Swimming teacher guilty of abusing girls, jailed for seven years

Swimming teacher Benno L has been jailed for seven years for abusing a number of girls in his care, judges in Den Bosch ruled on Friday.

But he will not be sent to psychiatric prison because the court said the risk he will re-offend is very low. The public prosecution department had demanded a 10 year jail term and psychiatric treatment.
According to news agency ANP emotions were high as the chief judge read out his statement, and said many of the charges against L, 60, were not proven.
Not guilty
L had admitted abusing a number of girls in his care. He faced three counts of attempted rape, 29 charges of assault and 40 charges of abuse and possession of child pornography.
The court found him not guilty of rape and attempted rape but guilty of a number of charges of assault.
All the damages claims made by parents were refused and sent back the civil courts, ANP said.
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.
More to follow