Omroep GelderlandA drawing that one of the children made on the care farm
In association with
Broadcasting Brabant
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 21:26
The religious outings of a care farm in Wekerom, Gelderland, were “reprehensible, shameful and very serious”. That is the opinion of the Agriculture and Care Complaints Committee, which decides on complaints from clients of care farms. Several vulnerable children had to go to healing services during their stay on the farm, Omroep Brabant and Omroep Gelderland wrote earlier this week.
The care farm offers day care and therapy to children, young people and adults with a disability or disorder. The broadcasters spoke to several parents and children who went to the care farm in Wekerom. The owner allegedly took the children to deliverance and healing services without permission.
When some parents found out about this at the beginning of this year, they filed a complaint with the Institute for Agrarian Law, which includes the Agriculture and Care Complaints Committee. The complaints ranged from exposure to religious indoctrination and abuse to poor food on the care farm.
Consciously bringing minors into contact with extreme religious beliefs is not consistent with providing good care.
Complaints Committee for Agriculture and Care
Several complaints, including those about the poor food, were declared unfounded by the committee this afternoon. However, the parents have been vindicated on most points. The complaints committee ruled that there was “a serious situation of a structural nature” on the farm.
The committee blames the owner for putting her faith first in her working methods instead of caring for the children. According to the committee, this is “basically wrong”. “Because consciously and deliberately bringing minor clients into contact with and trying to influence them through extreme religious beliefs is not consistent with providing good care.” The committee believes that the services can cause emotional and psychological damage to these children.
A mother of one of the children involved is relieved by the committee’s judgments, she says Broadcasting Brabant. “That gives us validation for everything our children have seen and experienced and what a trauma that has been for them.”
Owner denies
The owner denied almost all allegations to the complaints committee. “It is not true, I was not there, I am not responsible,” can be read in the statement in the hands of both broadcasters. The committee finds her defense “unbelievable”. “It confirms that the owner does not give the impression that she is open to improving her care in this regard,” the committee said. The woman does not want to comment further. The committee’s ruling states that the owner wants to focus on “a different target group”.
The complaints committee forwards the decision to the Healthcare and Youth Inspectorate. Bram van der Beek, councilor for Youth Care in Ede, is considering measures against the healthcare providerbut may first want to wait for the Inspectorate investigation.
2024-04-04 19:26:38
#Committee #religious #outings #Wekerom #care #farm #Reprehensible
