A policeman in the staunchly Protestant town of Ermelo has issued a ticket to a teenager he spotted walking down the street shouting ‘cancer’, RTL news said on Tuesday.

Beat officer Jelle van Heerikhuize handed out the fine on Sunday after questioning the lad about his language. The youth replied: ‘what’s it to do with you if I walk down the street shouting “cancer”. It’s not against the law,’ Van Heerikhuize said on Twitter.

While swearing with diseases might not be against the law in general, it does conflict with local Ermelo bylaws and it will be up to the public prosecution department to determine how high the fine should be, RTL said.

‘I’m going to do it more often,’ Van Heerikhuize said, adding that he has heard from many locals that they don’t like the way youngsters walk around swearing.

There are 16 local councils in the Netherlands with a ban on swearing in their bylaws, most of which are part of the Bible belt.

Anti-swearing union

Wilfried Verboom of the anti-swearing union Bond tegen Vloeken told RTL that fewer and fewer councils include a ban on swearing in their local rules.

Asked why using cancer and other diseases is a popular way to swear in the Netherlands, Verboom said: ‘In the Netherlands we like to swear using words which are taboo. That can be words connected to religion, or illnesses such as typhoid and cancer. But words connected to sex, or sexual orientation are also common, such as homo.’

Verboom praised the police officer’s action. ‘We’ve noticed the word “respect” is becoming increasingly popular,’ he said. ‘Everyone seems to be concerned about it, not just religious people.’

Verboom said the union employs two teachers who are busy giving lessons on the meaning of respect full time.

Opmerkelijk hoe het taalgebruik van sommige jongelui ontwikkeld is: kanker dit, kanker dat, kanker zus, kanker zo. Gebrek aan #fatsoen dit.👎

— Jelle v. Heerikhuize (@polermelocentzu) March 26, 2017