moral facts

A teacher from De Springplank primary school in Geraardsbergen was arrested by the police on Friday evening. The man is suspected of sexual offenses with several children from the school. The East Flanders public prosecutor’s office confirms to our editors that the man remains arrested.

A 38-year-old teacher from a primary school in Geraardsbergen, East Flanders, has been arrested by the investigating judge in an investigation into sexual offenses involving minors and the creation and distribution of images of child abuse. The East Flanders public prosecutor’s office confirms this. It was informed of the facts by the federal judicial police on January 31 and immediately requested an investigating judge.

“A search took place in the suspect’s home on Friday, February 2,” says press magistrate Annelies Verstraete. “The suspect was arrested and taken for questioning. He appeared before the investigating judge in Oudenaarde on Friday afternoon, who had him arrested.” Verstraete says that the council chamber has decided that the man will remain arrested.

The judicial investigation is in full swing and should clarify how many victims the man has caused, at the school or outside it. According to the public prosecutor’s office, there are indications that several children have been victims. The teacher has been preventively suspended.

Filip Santens, director of Sint-Catharinacollege, the main school under which De Springplank primary school falls, reacts with dismay. “These are facts that are completely unacceptable,” he said. “We are obviously shocked by what happened. Such facts are unacceptable to us and directly contradict our pedagogical project, in which the physical and moral integrity of every student is of great importance.”

“We take these allegations very seriously. At this time it is still unclear what exactly happened. The schoolchildren are not aware of what is happening, they only noticed that the teacher was suddenly no longer at school.”

Preventively suspended

The director and his school are fully cooperating with the investigation. “We also want to know how this could have happened. The teacher was preventively suspended while the investigation is ongoing and will no longer be present at school.”

A meeting for all parents at the school will take place on Tuesday evening. “Out of respect for the privacy of those involved, we cannot go into further details of the case,” said director Santens. “We call for discretion not to hinder the investigation.”