Prosecutors demand five years for Rhenen driving instructor

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) demands five years in prison and a five-year work ban for a 63-year-old driving instructor from Rhenen. He is suspected of raping a minor and indecently assaulting a second pupil. The OM also demands a no-contact order covering both victims.

The rape allegedly happened on 29 December 2025 at the man's home in Rhenen, after a driving lesson. The victim reported it to the police on 19 January 2026. The other alleged assault took place in 2023, when he drove a pupil to a quiet spot by the river during a lesson.

That second woman had already contacted the police in August 2023. After the first victim's report, officers contacted her and she then decided to file a formal complaint.

The driving school he worked for, the Nationale Rijschool, noticed that an unusually large number of his pupils had stopped their lessons with him. Pupils told investigators he often talked about sex during lessons and "went too far too often" ("vaak over seks sprak en te vaak over het randje ging"). They also said he invited them to meet outside lessons.

The OM considers the victims' statements reliable and consistent. In setting its demand, it weighed that the suspect denies everything and puts all the blame on the women, and that there was a power imbalance and a large age gap. The prosecution says he grossly abused his position as a driving school owner.