Officials should be able to refuse to give certificates of good behaviour to people who are suspected of certain crimes, rather than just those with criminal convictions, junior justice minister Fred Teeven told parliament.

Many professions, particularly those which involve working with children, require people to have a Verklaring Omtrent Gedrag (VOG).

However, Teeven wants to expand the scope of the VOG investigation to include people who are suspected of serious crimes, such as murder. This, for example, would stop people suspected of child abuse working in a daycare centre, Teeven said.

Police

Teeven said he has been confronted with applications which he would like to refuse because of police information but has been forced to approve because of the law.

ChristenUnie MP Gert-Jan Segers told website nu.nl he is concerned about the proposal because it will involve punishing people who have not been convicted of a crime.

Legal experts also said the minister should proceed very carefully with his plans. ‘As a government you are taking an enormous risk,’ nu.nl quotes VU university professor Matthias Borgers as saying.

‘Someone who wants to work in education but is refused a VOG because of suspicions about him will find it very hard to shake off the label if he is eventually cleared,’ Borgers said.