‘Angry father’ paints courthouse doors purple

1 August 2006

AMSTERDAM — A man painted the doors of Assen courthouse purple on Tuesday morning to highlight what he says is system’s bias against fathers seeking parental access.

Police arrested Gerben Rorije, a member of the Familie4Justice group, for vandalism.

Rorije said purple is the colour for equality, which is a principle that is lacking in the law governing parental access. He accused the Child Welfare Council of preparing inadequate reports which were always to the detriment of fathers in divorce cases.

The protest at Assen in the north-east of the country passed off peacefully. Several supporters of Familie4Justice were present but were not arrested as they did not physically help apply the paint. The protest took place before the court was open for business.

Familie4Justice is an organisation that campaigns for equal rights for fathers and mothers involved in divorce proceedings. Figures by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) suggest a quarter of children do not have regular contact with their fathers in the first few years after divorce.

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2006]

Subject: Dutch news