Mother who lost child against her will holds Dutch State liable

Details

Trudy Scheele-Gertsen holds the Dutch State liable because her child was taken from her against her will. She gave birth to a baby boy in 1968 and was not married at the time. Despite being pressured by various parties to give her child up for adoption, Scheele-Gertsen wanted to raise her child herself. She communicated her wish to raise her child to various institutions involved. Nevertheless, the child was taken from her immediately after birth. She was only allowed to see her son once. After giving birth, Trudy Scheele-Gertsen was first suspended in the exercise of guardianship over her son and later her guardianship was terminated. The prerequisites for termination of guardianship were, however, not fulfilled. Now Trudy Scheele-Gertsen holds the Dutch State liable for the suffering caused by taking her son from her.

Trudy Scheele-Gertsen is represented in this case by Lisa-Marie Komp.

For more information about the case of Trudy Scheele-Gertsen (in Dutch), see:

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Prakken d'Oliveira, formerly known as Böhler, is a law firm with expertise and experience in asylum and immigration law, European law, administrative law, international criminal law and human rights. Our lawyers provide advice and conduct procedures before the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND), the Dutch Review Committee on the Intelligence and Security Services (CTIVD), the District- and Appeals courts, the Administrative Law Division of the Dutch Council of State, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ), the Human Rights Treaty Bodies of the United Nations (UN), the International Criminal Court (ICC), and other international tribunals.