Dutch ex-prostitute loses compensation case against her former high school
By APWednesday, January 6, 2010
Ex-prostitute loses claim against school
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Dutch court on Wednesday rejected a compensation claim by a woman who sued her former high school for allegedly failing to stop her from becoming a prostitute.
Maria Mosterd claimed her school should have done more to prevent pimps preying on her and told her mother about her repeated truancy.
The 20-year-old wrote a book about her experiences, claiming pimps took her from school in the eastern city of Zwolle and put her to work as a prostitute.
She and her mother say they went to court to highlight the problem of pimps, known in the Netherlands as “lover boys” who befriend and exploit young girls.
“This happens at many schools, and nobody takes responsibility for it,” Mosterd’s mother, Lucie Mosterd, said in a telephone interview. “We hoped we would win to make the point that this is going on at schools.”
Zwolle District Court rejected Mosterd’s compensation claim, saying the school tried unsuccessfully to contact her mother and called in a truancy officer.
The court ruling also said that parents, not schools, are primarily responsible for their children’s well-being.
Lucie Mosterd said she agreed that parents have the most responsibility for their children. “But how can I take responsibility for her truancy if I do not know about it?”
The family is considering appealing.
Mosterd’s former school, the Thorbecke School, could not immediately be reached for comment. The school’s Web site says it pays special attention to the danger of pimps and discusses the issue with students.
