A six-year prison sentence was demanded for a Christian preacher from Middelstum, Groningen, at the Groningen court on Tuesday for years of sexual abuse of a young woman. The preacher Jan Willem M. (54) is said to have carried out sexual acts with the woman in Middelstum and in Well, Gelderland, between 1999 and 2010.
According to the public prosecutor, M. had a leading role within the revivalist movement Kwa Sizabantu Mission (KSB), which has its roots in South Africa. The public prosecutor accuses M. of having pressured the woman to remain silent about the sexual relationship. M. is said to have told her that God had forgiven him for his sins.
The alleged victim, also a member of the KSB, moved in with Jan Willem M. and his wife in Middelstum at the age of 16 and was more or less their foster daughter. She claims that the abuse began when she was 16 years old. M., on the other hand, stated that the extramarital sexual relationship began when the woman was 18 years old.
On Tuesday, the preacher expressed his deep regret that he had had an extramarital relationship with the woman, who is 13 years younger than him, for years. ‘That was sinful.’ In the past, M. gave lectures for, among others, the organisation ‘True Love Waits’, which encourages young people to remain sexually pure before marriage.
The woman filed a complaint against M. in 2017. The accuser called it ‘credible’. She was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. On Tuesday, she did not dare to attend the hearing. Another person read her victim statement. The woman explained that she felt ‘empty and used’ because of the abuse by M. She considered taking her own life several times, she said. The alleged victim explained that M. had her ‘completely under his oppressive control, including in the religious sphere.’ According to her, M. was her so-called spiritual counsellor, a common ‘function’ within the KSB. ‘I had to confess every word, every sinful thought to him.’ The woman called the KSB a ‘sect’ and is demanding compensation of 50,000 euros.
M. himself stated that the relationship with the woman was characterised by equality and mutual love. He offered the woman a sympathetic ear, for example when her father was unwell. M.’s lawyer, Ms I.E. Leenhouwers, pleaded for an acquittal. She pointed out that M. “categorically” denies having been the woman’s spiritual advisor. Nevertheless, the two had sought ‘comfort’ from each other. Leenhouwers also contradicted the claim that KSB is a cult. Furthermore, M. did not have a major role within KSB, she said.
M. is now active at the Christian Centre De Cederborg in Middelstum. This organisation claims to be based on the ‘gospel of Jesus Christ’. The accuser expressed the fear that M. could again misbehave in his current role as a ‘celebrity’ within this centre. The spokesperson Oetze Deelstra of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands confirmed on request that M. had previously worked for the PKN. In the latest printed yearbook of the PKN (2020-2021), M. is still listed as a proponent. The spokesperson said that he could not go into further detail for data protection reasons.
The judgement will be announced on 27 August.
Johannes Visscher , Reformatorisch Dagblatt (article from 16 July 2024)