Veenendaal’s mayor has failed in the first round of his efforts to use the civil courts to put limits on where a convicted child abuser can go during the day.

Utrecht district court said on Wednesday that Jan Willem H is free to visit the communal gardens of the block of flats where he lives, and to frequent the area around schools, playgrounds, swimming pools and other public spaces.

The mayor Wouter Kolff will now return to court to have the case looked at again. Kolff also tried to have H banned from talking to children.

H, who earlier served time in jail for abusing a nephew, was released in June after serving a year in jail for distributing child pornography.