The trial begins on Monday of a man who is accused of sexually abusing and filming dozens of under-age girls, at least some of whom were friends of his daughter.

The case came to light when a 10-year-old girl who was staying with Mels van B and his daughter on a campsite sent a phone message to her parents saying she wanted to come home.

It later transpired that Van B had drugged the girl by putting a sedative in her bedtime hot chocolate and then abused her.

Van B is suspected of abusing 31 children, including physically assaulting 18 of them. Some of the abuse took place at his home in Barendrecht, the rest on the campsite in Noord-Brabant. Most of the cases took place between 2022 and 2024.

Experts at the Pieter Baan psychiatric centre say Van B has multiple sexual and other problems and has recommended that he be detained in a psychiatric prison for treatment.

The public prosecution department has allocated six days to the trial and over a day has been set aside to hear statements from the parents of the children involved.

The verdict is due in early March.