Report: thousands of minors forced into crime | Inland

According to spokesman Shamir Ceuleers of the CKM, this shows that criminal exploitation of children and young people mainly forms an “invisible pillar under the revenue model of criminals.” Ceuleers: “If we fail to identify and protect these victims, there is a good chance that we will lose them to the criminal circuit.” The minors are forced to commit a variety of crimes, such as drug offences, theft and recruitment for prostitution.

This often concerns vulnerable children and young people who cannot or do not dare to ask for help themselves. They sometimes think that they are not a victim, or are afraid of the perpetrator or of being persecuted themselves. According to the CKM, the minors can therefore remain in an exploitative situation for a long time. If they come into the picture, this is more often as perpetrator than as victim.

‘Subtle forms of coercion’

In order to recruit young victims for criminal offenses, perpetrators deliberately seek primary schools, vocational schools or even care institutions. The minors are often coerced into crime with ‘subtle forms of coercion’. For example, offenders abuse the vulnerable position of the child, a possible mild intellectual disability, minorities, or debt or addiction problems.

About 1600 primary care professionals such as youth workers, community police officers and school attendance officers took part in the survey. At least half of them indicated that they had been in contact with suspected victims in the past two years. In addition, 20 percent said they knew a victim who had been exploited both criminally and sexually.

“When tackling this and preventing young growth, we must realize that not everyone who commits criminal offenses does so voluntarily,” says Ceuleers. “That realization is lacking in the Dutch approach.” The report was commissioned by the Ministry of Justice and Security and contains several recommendations to Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius.

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