The childcare benefit scandal in which thousands of parents were wrongly accused of fraud played a crucial role in the removal of children from their parents, according to a special committee set up to look into what happened.

Between 2,000 and 3,000 children were removed from their homes after their parents were ordered to pay back thousands of euros in benefits which officials said had been wrongly paid to them.

Conversations with 35 children and 61 parents who volunteered to talk to the committee showed that if the effects of the wrongful accusation had been tackled earlier, none of these children would have been put into care, the report said.

Debts, poverty, and other financial problems caused by the financial burden placed on families led to parents developing mental problems, job losses, conflicts between parents, and a deteriorating relationship between parents and children.

As a result, parents were more often reported to social services, leading to a recommendation to put their children into care.

“Children often had no idea why they had to leave their home,” committee chairwoman Mariëtte Hamer said. “Parents were ashamed of the problems and didn’t want their children to suffer. But the children felt that shame all the same. There are even stories of children who wanted to help their parents by turning to crime,” she said.

Some of the children dropped out of school, their relationships with their parents broke down and they developed persistent mental problems.

“It’s not done and it won’t go away, and some relationships have not been mended, ”Hamer said in the report. “The children have lost faith in the government and youth services. There is enormous distrust. That is going to impact on their children should they need help. The children particularly named the feeling that the government can just take away your life,” she said.

The committee wants recognition for the children and support to get their lives back on track, including financial and legal help.

It is not clear how many children of the duped parent have been removed from their home. Statistics agency CBS said 2,090 children of duped parents were put into care but the justice department puts the number at 3,058.