KATHMANDU, June 15: In what may be yet another case of a foreigner sexually abusing children in Nepal under the cover of philanthropic activity, the Crime Investigation Bureau has arrested a 66-year-old Dutchman in the capital on suspicion of involvement in pedophilia, a psychiatric disorder that leads to sexual attraction toward children.
Piet Hein Van Terwisga, a child adolescence doctor from the Netherlands, was arrested by a CIB team from a hotel in Thamel , Thursday. Terwisga was with a minor in his hotel room at the time of his arrest.
According to CIB spokesperson SP Buddhi Raj Gurung, Terwisga has allegedly sexually abused more than six children in Nepal in the last four years, all under the cover of his philanthropy.
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Terwisga visited Nepal in 2014 for the first time and has since visited here 10 times.
“He would sponsor the education of children from poor and deprived families . He would then get close to the children and later abuse them sexually. Our investigation shows that he has sponsored the education of as many as six children from outside Kathmandu Valley so far,” Gurung said.
The CIB has filed a case of child sexual abuse (pedophilia) against the Dutchman and initiated further investigations. Kathmandu District Court has remanded him to judicial custody .
The arrest comes two months after the arrest of another foreign national, former UN-Habitat country representative for Afghanistan Peter John Dalglish, on the charge of sexually abusing children.
Dalgish was arrested from Mandan Deupur Municipality in Kavrepalanchowk district in April.
Dalglish was founder of the Himalayan Community Foundation, a non-governmental humanitarian organization helping poor and deprived families with their children's education. He allegedly targeted children from poor families for sexual abuse.
A person may be jailed for eight to 12 years if convicted of sexually abusing children.
The number of pedophiles arrested in the last two years has reached eight, including seven foreigners, according to police. Among the arrested foreigners, five are above 60 . Most of them have been found sexually abusing children under the cover of philanthropic activity, according to the CIB.
