Vereniging Martijn
| Vereniging MARTIJN | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Formation | 1982 |
| Purpose/focus | To advocate the acceptance of pedophilia and legalization of sexual relationships between adults and children |
| Region served |  Netherlands |
| Official languages | Dutch |
| Leader | Ad van den Berg |
Vereniging MARTIJN is a Dutch association that advocates the acceptance of pedophilia and legalization of sexual relationships between adults and children. The group is widely reviled but not outlawed.
From 1986 to 2006 the group published OK magazine, available only through the mail and not in retail stores, featuring essays, letters, interviews and photographs of scarcely clothed or naked children, mostly boys. MARTIJN was expelled from the International Lesbian and Gay Association in 1994.
Stop MARTIJN
In 2003 Vereniging MARTIJN faced opposition by the Actiecomité Stop MARTIJN (English: Action Committee Stop MARTIJN), which organized demonstrations against them. The committee was organized by the New Right and NNP parties. In 2003 they organized several demonstrations against Vereniging MARTIJN. They were seen as extreme right by their opponents.
The committee was led by Michiel Smit, Florens van der Kooi and Inge Bleecke (of Moeders tegen Pedofilie; English: Mothers against Pedophilia).
Photographs of Princess Amalia
The organization was in the news in October 2007 when it was learned that photographs of Princess Amalia, daughter of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange and his wife Princess Maxima, were on display on the websites forum. The Prince went to court to request a €50,000 fine and the removal of the photos from the website. The court agreed that the photos must be removed, and imposed a fine of €5,000 to be paid every time photos of children of the royal family are placed on the site again. The organisation had to pay €1,235 in costs.
Police investigations
The home of the organization's president, Ad van den Berg, was raided by police in October 2010; downloads of illegal material had been traced back to Van den Berg's internet connection. It was announced in March 2011 that large quantities of child pornography were found among the confiscated material, and even more material, including computers, was confiscated when Van den Berg was arrested on March 29.
Suspects in the Amsterdam sex case, an investigation into the abuse of tens of children in Amsterdam kindergartens, were members of MARTIJN.
Catholic Church connection
On 20 May 2011 Herman Spronck, the head of the Dutch arm of the Salesian Catholic order, confirmed to RTL Nieuws that a priest under him had been on the board of MARTIJN until the Van der Berg raids. He added "Of course we reject this and distance ourselves from this personal initiative". RTL obtained interviews both with Spronck and the priest (73-year-old "Father Van B.") in which the two defended child rape as not always damaging and positive respectively. The priest concerned has prior convictions for child sex abuse.
Legal aspects
On 18 June 2011 the Ministry of Security and Justice announced that the association's activities are not illegal under Dutch law. Although individual members have been suspected or convicted of illegal activities, the crimes were not committed as part of tasks for the association. Consequently it is not possible to prosecute, ban or disband the association.
See also
References
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vereniging_Martijn
