Eighty Percent of Dutch: Abuse in Roman Catholic Church Continues

Four out of five Dutchmen believe that even today, there is still sexual abuse in the Dutch Roman Catholic Church. Eighty percent think that the leaders of the Church in the Netherlands were aware of the enormity of the abuse. Seventy-five percent think that the statute of limitations for this type of abuse should be abolished. This was found by an opinion poll by the pollster Maurice de Hond. The report of the Deetman Commission found that between 1945 – 1981, Roman Catholic officials sexually abused 10,000 – 20,000 children. Of the approximately 800 perpetrators who have been identified, more than 100 are still alive.
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2686/Binnenland/article/detail/3093937/2011/12/24/Peiling-4-op-5-Nederlanders-gelooft-dat-misbruik-in-kerk-doorgaat.dhtml

‘Scumvillage’ – New Dutch Word of the Year

The annual competition for the new word of the year has – as a sign of the times – been won by the word “scumvillage” (tuigdorp). The word was invented by Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party who suggested that persistent offenders would be separated in such a village where only asocial people would be housed. The word won 43% of the votes. In second place came the word “Guinea pig police” (caviapolitie) – a nickname for the new animal cops.
www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2011/12/tuigdorp_is_van_dales_word_of.php

Netherlands Hemp Champion of Europe

As far as European drug rankings go, the Netherlands is now the continent’s leader in hemp growing. There are about 40,000 illegal hemp growers there. Their annual profit is about 2 billion Euro. Every year, 5,000 hemp nurseries are dismantled. According to the police, the operators of these nurseries are mainly big criminal organizations which have no opposition to using violence, corruption and killing. Often for these nurseries, illegal electric hookups are used which increases fire risk.
www.depers.nl/binnenland/619275/Nederland-het-Europese-hennepland.html

Finance Minister: Economy Recovery Only After 2013

Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager (Christian Democrat) said that only from the year 2013 can one expect economic recovery. Problems have been built up in southern Europe for 15 years. Europe has been too slow to understand that action was needed. He added that if one looks forward, countries shouldn’t be saved, but rather the banks. The only main reason why at present countries are saved is because of the fear that it may infect the European banking system. 2011 is going to be a difficult year.
www.nu.nl/politiek/2700288/jager-verwacht-herstel-2013.html

Soccer Game Cancelled after Fan Attacks Player

Due to a security lapse, a fan was able to enter the playing field in a cup match between two top Dutch clubs, Ajax and AZ Alkmaar. He tried to hit the goalkeeper of AZ Alkmaar, who evaded him and kicked the fan multiple times. The referee then showed the goalkeeper a red card because of violent conduct. Thereafter, the AZ Alkmaar players walked off the field. The police are holding the fan. The Dutch Justice Minister, Ivo Opstelten (Liberal Party) said the attack was “beastly” and added “jerks and nuts don’t belong on the field.” He approved of the Alkmaar players walking off the field.
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/dec/21/ajax-az-alkmaar-goalkeeper-fan/print

Investigation into Major Mortality Rate in Catholic Establishment

A major investigation will be undertaken into the high mortality rate of the Roman Catholic Girls’ establishment, St. Anna, in the township of Heel between 1952 and 1954. In that institute for mentally handicapped women and girls, 40 people died in that period. The independent investigation commission will look into the archives of the municipality and also interview former inhabitants or their descendents. www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/5091/Religie/article/detail/3084680/2011/12/20/Uitgebreider-onderzoek-naar-sterftecijfers-meisjes-St-Anna.dhtml

Lawyer: Diocese is a Criminal Organization

The lawyer Jan Boone said that the Rotterdam Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church is a criminal organization. He wants former Bishop Philippe Bär, the leaders and the members of the diocese to be prosecuted and has put in a complaint to this effect to the police. Boone said that the diocese had the intention to facilitate or at least to tolerate the sexual abuse of children. If it didn’t do so intentionally, it allowed it to happen while knowing about it. According to Boone, that is enough for condemnation. Bishop Bär brought into his diocese a priest about whom negative opinions had been given. While he was a priest, he was prosecuted twice and sexually abused many children. The diocese said that Boone’s claims have no foundation in truth.
www.nu.nl/binnenland/2698438/aangifte-bisdom-mist-grondslag.html

University Hospital Specialist: Intensive Care in our Hospital is Poor

Specialists at the Medical Center of the Amsterdam Free University (VU) have said that the intensive care department of their hospital gives poor service to patients. If they needed treatment, they would go to another hospital. The specialists speak about “a culture of fear where the advice of medical specialists is not listened to.” They mention two incidents where patients have died. The Inspectorate of Health has also published a critical report about the “exceptionally worrying situation.” In March, a lung patient died. The department has ignored the advice of lung specialists on various occasions.
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/5270/Zorg/article/detail/3075761/2011/12/14/Situatie-op-intensive-care-van-VUmc-alarmerend.dhtml

15,000 College Students Possibly Affected by Certificate Fraud

The Telegraaf daily reports that fraud with certificates of qualification at the College Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA) possibly affects 15,000 students. They might have become the victims of years of mismanagement and intimidation. Peter Fonkert of the Economy and Management Studies Department says that results of exams were introduced mistakenly into the computer due to errors in the administration system. He said that the chaos on campus is hard to describe. Students with the lowest grades, might have received the highest ones. These results were never corrected because teachers were afraid of measures being taken against them. Sixty percent of HvA teachers have expressed in writing their lack of confidence in the college’s management .

www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/11147000/__Beerput_HVA_geopend__.html

Journalist: Ten to Twenty Thousand Victims of Catholic Sex Scandal

Journalist Joep Dohmen of the NRC Handelsblad daily said that between 10,000 to 20,000 children were abused in Catholic institutions between 1945 and 1985. This calculation was made by the Deetman Commission in its investigation of sexual abuse in the Dutch Roman Catholic Church. Most victims were between 11 and 14 years old. In most cases, only touching was involved. In 10% of the cases, it was worse, such as rape.
Dohmen claims that Dutch Cardinal Simonis did not tell the truth on TV last year when he said that he did not know about the abuse. One example is that in 1991, he appointed a condemned pedophile priest as Pastor in Amersfoort. There the Pastor abused 6 children who complained to the police and possibly tens of others.
www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/5091/Religie/article/detail/3079067/2011/12/16/Tussen-10-en-20-000-slachtoffers-RK-Kerk.dhtml

Research Organization: Al Qaeda Plans Attack in Amsterdam

The American research organization Flashpoint, follows Muslim extremism worldwide. It says that on the website Shamukhforum, a terror attack on Amsterdam has been announced. This website is related to Al Qaeda and is a chat room for Al Qaeda sympathizers. Flashpoint collaborates with the ministries of Justice and Defense in the U.S., Scotland Yard in England and the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1041/Amsterdam/article/detail/3076515/2011/12/14/Al-Qaeda-dreigt-met-aanslag-in-Amsterdam.dhtml

The Netherlands in Economic Recession

The Central Planning Bureau (CPB) has announced that the Netherlands is in an economic recession. The current quarter will be the second consecutive one where there is economic shrinkage. For the first two quarters of 2012, shrinkage is also forecast to amount in total to 0.5%. The budget deficit next year is expected to be 4.1%. In September, the forecast for this figure was 2.9%. The CPB expects that 475,000 people will be unemployed, which is 90,000 more than in 2011.
www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/12/13/cpb-cijfers-nederland-in-recessie-extra-bezuinigingen-nodig

Muslim Radicals Want to Continue Creating Disturbances

Abu Hamza, of the radical Muslim group Sharia4Holland told the Spits Daily that his organization wants to continue creating disturbances, similar to the one where they disrupted a debate in which Parliamentarian Tofik Dibi (Green Left) and the author Irshad Manji participated. The debaters were spit at and eggs were thrown at them. Hamza expressed his sympathy for Al Qaeda and said that the radical Muslim Mohammed Bouyeri who killed mediamaker Theo van Gogh was justified in his actions, as van Gogh had insulted Allah. Hamza said that his organization was still small, but through Twitter and the distribution of flyers, they were looking for more members. The Christian Democrats Party wants the same laws used against soccer hooligans to be applied against Muslim radicals also. In this way, they can be prohibited from entering meetings, their range of movement can be limited and they can be forced to visit police stations regularly.
www.spitsnieuws.nl/archives/binnenland/2011/12/meer-acties-zoals-deze%E2%80%99

Employees of Police Center Complain about Quarrels and Abuse of Power

The National Expertise Center for Diversity (LECD) of the Dutch Police, functions poorly because of infighting and abuse of power of the director. The Center was founded in 2001 in order to attract more non-Western immigrants, women, homosexuals and the handicapped to the police ranks. According to the TV program Nieuwsuur, 10 of the 15 employees have complained to a person they trusted about the center’s management. One of them said anonymously, “I lived through Hell at the center.”
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2686/Binnenland/article/detail/3069240/2011/12/07/Expertisecentrum-politie-gebukt-onder-ruzie.dhtml

Secret Service Worried about Radical Muslim Group

The Dutch Intelligence Service, AIVD is worried about the rapid radicalization of the Muslim group “Sharia4Holland.” The AIVD remarked that the group appears increasingly in public and hands out flyers on the street. This group is held responsible for the disturbance in an Amsterdam meeting where Parliamentarian Tofik Dibi, (Green Left) had eggs thrown at him. Radical slogans were also shouted. Various parliamentarians of the Labor Party, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals have criticized the group. The Freedom Party wants the group to be prohibited.
www.parool.nl/parool/nl/4024/2011/article/print/detail/3070660/Moslimgroep-radicaliseert-razendsnel.dhtml

Radical Muslims Throw Eggs on Parliamentarian

Parliamentarian Tofik Dibi (Green Left) and author and Muslim activist Irshad Manju have complained to the police after the debate in which they participated in Amsterdam was disturbed by radical Muslims. They threw eggs on them and spat at Manju. The special mobile unit of the police had to expel these Muslims which numbered between 20 and 30 out of the building. Two were arrested. The group probably belonged to the Belgian organization Sharia4Belgium. The discussion focused on “a new generation of Muslims which inspire hope.”
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2686/Binnenland/article/detail/3069160/2011/12/07/Radicale-moslims-verstoren-debat-over-geloven.dhtml

Rating of Major Dutch Bank Cut

The Dutch cooperative bank Rabobank lost its triple-A rating from Standard and Poor. About 15 other banks were downgraded, but Rabobank was the only one that was taken down two notches. Its current rating of double-A still makes it the highest rated privately owned bank in the world.
www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/30/us-rabobank-rating-idUSTRE7AT0UP20111130

Five Policemen Wounded After Soccer Game

After a soccer game between FC Utrecht and FC Twente in the Dutch top soccer league, riots broke out and five policemen were wounded. The policemen felt threatened enough to fire several shots into the air. The Mayor of Utrecht, Aleid Wolfsen (Labor) said that hooligans misbehaved terribly and that their entrance should be prohibited for many games to come. Supporters of FC Utrecht claim that the mayor is responsible for the riots because he did not react when hooligans of the FC Twente threw firecrackers at young Utrecht fans.
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2698/Sport/article/detail/3064358/2011/12/05/Fans-FC-Utrecht-woedend-op-burgemeester.dhtml

Wikileaks: Dutch Companies Sell Spy Software to Dictators

RTL News reported that Wikileaks revealed tens of documents that Dutch and other Western companies sell spy software to dictatorships. Where spy services in the past focused on individuals and their environment, now, massive digital data are being collected and analyzed. Three Dutch companies are named by Wikileaks: Group 2000, Pine Digital Security and Fox-it.
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/3884/WikiLeaks/article/detail/3060113/2011/12/01/Nederlandse-bedrijven-verkopen-spionagesoftware-aan-dictators.dhtml

The Hague: Leakage Causes Evacuation of Intensive Care Department

Sixteen patients in the intensive care ward of the Haga Hospital in The Hague have been moved to other hospitals or other departments due to leakage in the intensive care ward from the roof. A number of operations had to be delayed.
www.powned.tv/nieuws/binnenland/2011/12/ic_haags_ziekenhuis_ontruimd.html

Minister: Impossible to Prohibit Pedophile Organization

Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten (Liberal) does not intend to ask the prosecution to try to legally prohibit the existence of the Martijn Organization of Pedophiles. He said that there is no case because there is no child porno on its website and no links to sites where prohibited material can be seen. All that has happened is that individual members of the club, including the chairman, have been condemned of child abuse or the possession of child pornography. Five parties have asked the minister to take legal action against Martijn. Christian Democrat Parliamentarian, Madeleine van Toorenburg said, “The Netherlands doesn’t understand how such a disgusting organization can exist.”
http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/11032288/__Opstelten__Pedoclub_niet_vervolgd__.html?p=2,2

University Hides Academic Fraud

The ASAP student party at the Radboud University in Nijmegen wants the university to publish the report on the investigation of the integrity of Professor Roos Vonk. Last week, Vonk was publicly censured without the report being published. She had said that people who eat meat are nastier than vegetarians. Her statement was based on data of Professor Diederik Stapel of the University of Tilburg, who has in the meantime been fired as these and many other data were invented. Earlier this month it became known that last year, a doctoral student had been seriously warned after he had manipulated data. This information was not published at the time. His contract was not extended and his data could not be used. It has also become known this month that a senior researcher has resigned at the medical center of the university because the collection of his data was unverifiable.

www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4556/Onderwijs/article/detail/3055821/2011/11/29/Nijmeegse-studenten-Maak-onderzoek-naar-Roos-Vonk-openbaar.dhtml

www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4556/Onderwijs/article/detail/3026160/2011/11/10/Nog-een-geval-van-fraude-in-Nijmegen.dhtml

Dutch Economy has Come to a Halt

The Dutch Statistics Office has released figures which show that the Dutch economy shrank by .03% in the third quarter compared to the second quarter. For November, a .04% shrinkage is expected, yet, it may be followed by an incidental 0% growth in December, mainly as a result of the holiday season.
www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/dutch-economy-has-come-a-halt

Many Dutch Hospitals are Plagued by Vermin

RTL News has asked all Dutch hospitals about their experiences with vermin. Only 20 were willing to reply. All these hospitals more or less suffer from vermin. This concerns mice and rats in the cellars, cockroaches in the kitchens and flies in the operating rooms. During the past three years, flies were found seven times in the operating theaters of various hospitals. The Director of the Knowledge Center of Plagues Caused by Animals, Nico Vonk said to RTL News that hospitals have to do more in order to keep vermin out. He added, “Policy is still that one only acts when there are already existing problems.”
www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/11/26/veel-ziekenhuizen-hebben-last-van-ongedierte/

Former Euro Commissioner Calls Split of Euro Unavoidable

Frits Bolkestein, a former Commissioner of the European Union at the time it was decided upon, said that a split in the Euro is unavoidable. Germany and a number of other countries will have to create a separate unit. He added that Greece should be removed from the Euro zone and if Italy were to be removed, he wouldn’t “shed a tear.” He admitted that he and other politicians had not understood the mistakes in the construction of the Euro as a currency even though he had always been skeptical about it. He also came out against Euro obligations. Bolkestein said he had calculated that the Netherlands would have to pay 7 billion Euro extra interest if they were introduced. He added, “We already have problems to cut back our budget by 18 billion Euro.”www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/11/26/bolkestein-noemt-opsplitsing-eurozone-onvermijdelijk/

Erasmus University Dismisses Professor After Research Fraud

The Medical Center of the Erasmus University in Rotterdam has dismissed Medical Professor Don Poldermans. According to the university, the Professor has invented research data and damaged the confidence of patients. According to the university, Poldermans has presented results which cannot be concluded from the patient information. He has been working at the hospital for decades. Poldermans said that he did not follow the guidelines, but did not falsify data. (Recently Diederik Stapel, a Professor of Social Psychology at Tilburg University admitted to years-long fraud.)

www.elsevier.nl/web/Nieuws/Wetenschap/322628/Erasmus-Universiteit-ontslaat-hoogleraar-na-fraude.htm?print=true

Many Unprofessional Driving Instructors

As it is so easy to pass driving instructor exams, many unprofessional instructors are working at present. Labor Party Parliamentarian Sharon Dijksma said that almost anyone can become a driving instructor in the Netherlands. Driving instructors already pass the exam when they answer 42 out of 60 questions correctly. The Parliament wants Minister Schultz van Haegen of Infrastructure to take action.
www.powned.tv/nieuws/binnenland/2011/11/veel_beunhazen_bij_rijscholen.html

Many Municipalities Poorly Supervise Public Swimming Pools

According to RTL News, more than half of Dutch municipalities do not carry out periodic inspections of public swimming pools. At the swimming pool in De Reeshof in Tilburg early this month, a baby was killed when two rusty loud speakers fell on him. According to Jaap van Duijn a specialist who inspects swimming pools, the main danger is in the use of certain types of steel in swimming pools. The chlorine vapors in swimming pools in combination with the urine found in the water attack the fasteners of elements in the ceiling.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/10962220/___Toezicht_zwembaden_rammelt___.html

Sex Addiction Greatly Increases in Netherlands

The number of people addicted to sex in the Netherlands has greatly increased. At present, it is the third most significant addiction in the Netherlands after alcohol and nicotine addictions. There is a hard core of 300,000 people who suffer from sex addiction – for these people, sex is an obsession and they cannot go one day without viewing pornographic images. Dick Trubendorffer of the Amsterdam addiction clinic GGZ, says that with such a high number of addicted, sex addiction becomes an epidemic. He remarked that if this continues, a society will develop in which people do not have the ability to establish stable relationships.
www.parool.nl/parool/nl/224/BINNENLAND/article/detail/3043820/2011/11/21/Steeds-meer-seksverslaafden-in-Nederland.dhtml

Hospital Apologizes to Families of Five Patients Who Died

The board and supervisory council of the Scheper Hospital in Emmen have apologized to the families of five patients who did not survive stomach operations. According to the conclusions of the Investigation Council for Safety, not only the surgeon was responsible for the lack of safety of the patients during the operations, but also the hospital was negligent. The surgeon was dismissed in 2009. The prosecution is checking whether he can be prosecuted for criminal negligence.
www.nos.nl/artikel/314359-ziekenhuis-emmen-biedt-excuses-aan.html

Dutch Have Little Confidence in the Future

Many Dutchmen have expressed little confidence in the future of their children. The majority of the population thinks that after years of increasing affluence, there will be a decline from now on. Such an opinion hasn’t been dominant since the Second World War. Salem Samhoud, of the consultancy company which ordered the research among 1,240 Dutchmen concludes, “We apparently can not offer our children what we ourselves have had.”
www.spitsnieuws.nl/archives/binnenland/2011/11/weinig-vertrouwen-in-toekomst-kindertjes

Curacao Government: Dutch Racist Policemen Humiliated Demonstrators

The Curacao Plenipotenary Minister in The Hague, Sheidry Osepa considers the behavior of the police in Dordrecht as humiliating, unacceptable and racist. During the official arrival of Sinterklaas, a Dutch folkloristic figure, 4 demonstrators were arrested. They protested against the presence of Black Peter, the traditional assistant of Sinterklaas. The police said that the demonstrators had been told five times to end their illegal demonstration.
www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4492/Nederland/article/detail/3033622/2011/11/15/Curacao-ziedend-Racistische-agent-vernederde-betogers-tegen-Zwarte-Piet.dhtml

Arnhem: Virus Found Again in Hospital

The geriatric department of the Rijnstate Hospital in Arnhem has been infected for the second time this year by the Norovirus which causes severe stomach spasms. The department has been closed. It has now become known that in the nursing home St. Anna in the city of Heel, the Norovirus has also spread.

www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2672/Wetenschap-Gezondheid/article/detail/3031041/2011/11/13/Opnieuw-norovirus-in-ziekenhuis-Rijnstate.dhtml

Did Dutch Commander in Srebrenica Know That There Would Be Mass Killings?

The Dutch Surgeon Ger Kremer claimed that Thom Karremans, was aware that thousands of Muslim men would be killed after the fall of the Srebrenica
enclave in Bosnia in 1995. Kremer who was with the Dutchbat, the U.N. peacekeeping force in Srebrenica, made this claim on Dutch public television last week. He accused Karremans of lying under oath to the Yugoslav Tribunal and the Dutch Parliamentary inquiry. Military historian, Christ Klep said Karremans version of the story is inaccurate. He said that many of the former Dutchbat soldiers he has interviewed say they new about the impending genocide and their commander must have known as well. Karremans continues to deny that he knew what would happen.

http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/%E2%80%98karremans-knew-about-srebrenica-executions

Twenty-Five Dead Due to Mistakes in Care for Thrombosis

Since October 2010, at least 25 people died due to mistakes in the care for Thrombosis. These results come from a list established by the Inspectorate for Health Care (IGZ). According to the organization, the number of dead is probably higher because not all incidents were registered. The problems occurred in many places – hospitals, nursing homes, psychiatric institutions and with home patients who are controlled by a Thrombosis service. The Inspectorate wants to approve the medical care for the patients which did not happen last year.

www.depers.nl/binnenland/609740/Doden-door-fouten-bij-trombosezorg.html

Big Increase in Complaints about Lawyers

In 2010 in Amsterdam, 474 people complained about the behavior of their lawyers compared to 398 in 2009. This finding was published by the Council of Supervision of the Order of Lawyers. In 40% of the cases, the complaint was found to be justified. Most complaints were about the quality of service, financial costs and poor communication.

www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1041/Amsterdam/article/detail/3021189/2011/11/07/Meer-klachten-over-Amsterdamse-advocaten.dhtml

Money Spent on Problematic non-Western Youngsters is Wasted

Thirty-four cities in the Netherlands where many Moroccan and Antillean youths live have been receiving funds from the government to reduce the problems with these youths. According to the National Broadcasting Foundation (NOS), this money has been wasted. The number of school leaders and unemployed has only increased further since the subsidies were introduced in 2009. The subsidies will be paid until the end of 2012.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/10796885/__Aanpak_risicojongeren_mislukt__.html

Fifty Youth Gangs in The Hague

Fifty youth gangs are active in The Hague, according to police findings. The members’ age range is from 12 until the late 20’s. The ethnic composition is diverse, but the number of Moroccans is disproportionately high. Nine gangs are criminal. Twenty-seven cause harassment such as destruction and vandalism. Fourteen consist of youngsters who hang around and annoy neighborhood residents. The police say that such groups in the course of time may upgrade to more severe categories of criminal behavior.
www.nu.nl/binnenland/2660043/vijftig-jeugdbendes-in-haag.html

Shortage of Personnel in Police Situation Rooms

The Police Trade Union (ACP) is very worried about the shortage of personnel in police situation rooms. The problem is particularly serious on weekends and in the evenings. The Chairman of the ACP, Gerrit van de Kamp said that in view of the planned merger of situation rooms, it is very difficult to find new personnel. He has asked the Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten (Liberals) to take action.
www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/10/29/politievakbond-luidt-noodklok-over-onderbezetting-meldkamers/

Three Deaths in Rotterdam Hospital Due to Bacteria

The Inspectorate for Health Care (IGZ) has concluded in an investigative report that the Rotterdam Maasstad Hospital has not adequately reacted to the outbreak of the Klebsiella bacteria. The management of the hospital has misjudged the size, severity and length of the outbreak. Most probably, three patients died due to this bacteria and possibly another ten also. In total, 107 people were infected and 4,000 people were in contact with infected patients. The bacteria was first found in October 2010, only at the end of May 2011 were measures taken.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/10840063/___Maasstad_heeft_gefaald___.html

Brunssum: Hospital Operation Room Closed Due to Flies

In an operating room of the Atrium Medical Center in Brunssum, no surgery can be carried out for three days because of flies in the room. Thus a sterile environment could no longer be guaranteed by the hospital. Last month a similar problem occurred in the operation rooms of the Rijnstate Hospital in Zevenaar which led to closure of these rooms.

http://nos.nl/artikel/309369-vliegjes-in-operatiekamers-brunssum.html

Nijmegen: Hospital Department Closed Due to Bacteria

The intensive and medium care departments of the Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital in Nijmegen have been closed due to the VRE bacteria. Five patients are being treated in isolation there.

www.nu.nl/binnenland/2655843/ic-ziekenhuis-nijmegen-dicht-darmbacterie.html

Chair of Curacao Parliament: The Netherlands is becoming Racist

Ivar Asjes, Chairman of the Curacao Parliament has said that if the Netherlands expels the Angolan youngster Mauro Manuel, Curacao should grant asylum to him and his foster parents. He added that the Dutch debate on whether to expel this youngster who has lived for more than 8 years in the Netherlands, indicates that it is becoming a racist country.
www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1013/Buitenland/article/detail/3005824/2011/10/31/Voorzitter-parlement-Curacao-Wij-moeten-Mauro-opnemen.dhtml

Deputy Minister: Brown Rats Increasingly Resistant against Poison

Deputy Minister Joop Atsma of the Environment is worried about the increasing resistance of brown rats to poison. This is what he wrote to Parliament. Studies show that 39% of rats studied are increasingly insensitive to pesticides. The Minister promised a detailed investigation into the exact size and spread of resistant mice and rat populations in the Netherlands.
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2664/Nieuws/article/detail/2996742/2011/10/27/Bruine-rat-steeds-vaker-resistent-tegen-gif.dhtml

Police Surprised by Turkish Attack on Kurdish Center

The Amsterdam police were surprised by the anti-Kurdish riots after a demonstration by Turks. Jan Pronker, District Chief of Police in the center of Amsterdam told the Amsterdam Municipal Council that it had not been expected that the anti-PKK protest would deteriorate. About 60 Turks attacked a Kurdish center. There were wounded and there was destruction in the building. A Kurdish spokesman criticized the police and said that they were the attacked, but they were treated like perpetrators.
http://www.parool.nl/parool/nl/4041/2011/article/print/detail/2996600/Politie-was-verrast-door-aanval-op-Koerdisch-centrum.dhtml

Netherlands the Most Polluted Country in European Union

Dutch air, water and soil are the most polluted in the European Union. Its rank is number 27. This results from a report by the Dutch Foundation for Nature and Environment (Natuur & Milieu) in its report Ranking the Stars. The report compares the Netherlands with other European countries on issues such as climate, environment and nature. According to the foundation, the soil pollution largely derives from nitrogen and phosphates related to the large number of animals designated for slaughter. The air quality is bad because of the high emission of nitrogen dioxide.
www2.natuurenmilieu.nl/nieuws/perscentrum/20111015-nederland-is-meest-vervuilde-land-van-europa/

Dordrecht: Department of Hospital Closed Due to Bacteria

The Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Dordrecht has closed a department due to the MRSA bacteria. This has been announced by the hospital. In the meantime, a number of people have been infected. This bacteria has been found in a patient at the oncology department and with three employees. The infected employees are at home at present.
www.parool.nl/parool/nl/224/BINNENLAND/article/detail/2987007/2011/10/24/MRSA-bacterie-in-Dordts-ziekenhuis.dhtml

Poor Air Quality can Block Economy of Major Towns

The Organization of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) has written a letter to Deputy Minister Joop Atsma of Infrastructure and Environment warning him that the air quality in the four major Dutch cities – Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht has to be improved. If this is not done, economic developments in these towns may stop. The problems with for instance, nitrogen dioxide, are so major that communities cannot solve them by themselves. This the more so as they only have an impact on 20% of the pollution.

www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2680/Economie/article/detail/2948180/2011/10/04/Luchtkwaliteit-kan-economie-steden-stilleggen.dhtml

Haarlem Hospital: Intensive Care Unit Closed Due to Bacteria

At the Kennemer Gasthuis, a hospital in Haarlem in July and September, six patients were infected with the klebsiella bacteria. Recently, part of the intensive care unit was closed because of this. Despite the fact that special hygienic measures were taken in July, patients were again infected in September.
www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4516/Gezondheid/article/detail/2964963/2011/10/12/Ziekenhuis-Haarlem-sluit-intensive-care-wegens-bacterie.dhtml

Many Rats in South Amsterdam

In the southern part of Amsterdam, there are many brown rats. A woman who lives on a square there told a newspaper that she had seen 30 rats on the square where she lives. She said: “I understand that there are rats in Amsterdam, but the number of them is absurd. They cause me nightmares.”
The municipality has not done anything to combat the situation. A bar tender at a café in the square said that he has now seen rats crossing the square for the last 8 months. A spokesman for the neighborhood council said that they are going to deal with the problem in November.

http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/10773067/__Veel_ratten_in_Amsterdam-Zuid__.html?view=print

Human Trafficking in Dutch Inland Navigation

The police and labor inspection have started a major investigation against the exploitation Philippine seamen on the Dutch inland navigation. The police now systematically control ships on Dutch rivers. The labor inspections suspects that exploitation, which is a form of human trafficking and false reporting are structural problems in Dutch navigation.
www.elsevier.nl/web/Artikel/318518/Actie-tegen-uitbuiting-in-binnenvaart.htm