A Dordrecht psychiatric clinic, which offers help from a Christian perspective, is employing a psychiatrist with a conviction for possessing large amounts of child pornography, the Volkskrant says on Monday.

The man was convicted of possessing 66,000 items of child porn, including rape videos, in 2012. The board of the De Hoop clinic is aware of the conviction and says the doctor ‘deserves a second chance’.

The clinic says the psychiatrist treats adults with addiction problems and does not work with children or the perpetrators or victims of sexual violence. These conditions of employment were formulated by health ministry inspectors, the clinic said.

Television programme De Monitor reported on Sunday that the man, named as Van R, continued to work with the victims of sexual abuse at a different clinic six months after his conviction. He was then sacked when news of his conviction leaked out.

Next week’s programme will focus on his work at De Hoop. Staff and patients at the clinic have now been informed about the psychiatrist’s past.