D66 MPs Marijke Synhaeve and Hanneke van der Werf have proposed legislation to ensure that children are quickly heard when there are serious indications of abuse, where necessary without their parents’ consent. The proposal is open for organisations to respond to before it is submitted to the House of Representatives, possibly in amended form.

Under the proposed approach, a multidisciplinary team would interview the child within 48 hours and draw up a plan for protection, assistance and, where necessary, criminal proceedings. The method, based on the Barnahus model, would apply both inside and outside the youth-care system and involve expertise in medical care, youth care, security and justice. The proposal says the current rules generally require parental or guardian consent, with exceptions possible only under strict conditions.