Between 1860 and 1973 more than 15,000 women and girls were forced to work without pay in laundries and sewing workshops run by the catholic organization Sisters of the Good Shepherd (in Dutch: Zusters van de Goede Herder) in convents at several locations in the Netherlands. The working conditions were poor.
Nineteen women who fell victim to these practices as children have now decided to hold the Sisters liable for the damages they suffered as a result. They are being represented by lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld.
More information about the forced labor practices and the stories of a number of victims can be found in the Dutch newspaper NRC:
- NRC .nl, 'Slachtoffers nonnen komen met claim', 14 July 2018
- NRC.nl, 'De meisjes van de Goede Herder'', 14 July 2018