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Implementation
Certificate of Good Conduct 33
Individuals who wish to work with children are often required to submit a certificate of good conduct
(Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag (VOG)) and references. 34 The Gunning Committee, which conducted an investigation
further to the Amsterdam sexual abuse case, found that new staff members are not being
screened carefully enough. 35 The Committee identified opportunities in a number of areas to tighten
this procedure, 36 for example by checking certificates and making it compulsory to verify references.
The Brancheorganisatie Kinderopvang [<strong>Child</strong>care Sector Organisation] is currently drawing up a procedure
that includes conditions that should be fulfilled in selecting a candidate. 37 One of the conditions will
be that enquiries must always be made with regard to references from previous employers, placements
or training courses. With regard to the certificate of good conduct, the Committee recommends that all
staff must be asked to provide an updated certificate of good conduct every two years. 38 However, in their
letter of 11 July 2011, the Minister for Social Affairs & Employment and the Minister of Justice indicated
that the government prefers a form of screening whereby authorities continue to monitor employees in
the childcare sector, in order to ascertain whether a new relevant criminal offence has been entered in
the Criminal Records System under the name of such an employee. 39 At the time of writing this report,
the method and form of screening were still being investigated by the government, in consultation with
the childcare sector. The Gunning Committee also issued a recommendation to the Minister of Security
and Justice to investigate the possibilities for enabling bodies that issue certificates of good conduct to
access information regarding convictions for criminal offences in other countries. 40 On the basis of this
recommendation, the State Secretary for Security and Justice has advocated joint efforts at a European
level to improve the way in which information is shared. The agreement on the Directive on combating
sexual exploitation of children incorporates measures to ensure that information about convictions is
also exchanged across borders. 41
33 See also §3.6.3.2; Article 5, paragraph 3 of the Lanzarote Convention requires that Parties to the Convention
ensure that individuals who have been convicted of sexual abuse of children do not have access
to professions that involve frequent contact with children, see the Convention on the Protection of
<strong>Child</strong>ren Against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention), Lanzarote, 25 October
2007, Treaty Series 2008, 58; Parliamentary Papers II 2008/09, 31808, no.3, pp.5-6.
34 From 1 January 2012, the Stichting Beroepsbeoefenaren Natuurlijke Gezondheidszorg (RBNG) [Foundation of
Natural Health Practitioners] made a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) compulsory for all 8000 therapists
listed on its register. Without that certificate, therapists cannot be listed on the RBNG register
and healthcare insurers will not provide reimbursement for treatment. According to the Director, the
Amsterdam sexual abuse case concerning the children’s day nursery Het Hofnarretje formed the immediate
reason for the measure, source: ANP, 5 September 2011.
35 Gunning et al., 2011, p.11.
36 Gunning et al., 2011, p.11.
37 Parliamentary Papers II, 2010/11, 32 500 VI, no.117.
38 Gunning et al., 2011, p.146.
39 Parliamentary Papers II 2010/11, 32 500 VI, no.117.
40 Gunning et al., 2011, p.146.
41 Europees akkoord informatie-uitwisseling seksueel kindermisbruik [European agreement on exchange of information
concerning child sexual abuse], www.rijksoverheid.nl, 29 June 2011; Europees akkoord over informatie
pleger zedenmisdrijf kinderen [European agreement on information about perpetrators of child sex offences],
Blik op Nieuws, 29 June 2011.
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