Former Groningen mayor Koen Schuiling has been convicted of masturbating behind the wheel by the Court of Appeal.
He was initially convicted back in 2024 by the Public Prosecution Service. His punishment? A measly fine of €250.
However, Schuiling wasn’t happy with the ruling and appealed. Now, he has yet again been found guilty of indecent exposure.
Not rubbing his stomach
This all kicked off back in March of 2024, when the former Groningen mayor was spotted acting strangely on the A7 by a truck driver.
According to the driver, he saw Schuiling’s genitals and he was doing “up-and-down movements with a curved hand.” The truck driver says he saw it clearly, as Schuiling’s interior lights were on and they drove side by side for some time.
The Court of Appeals found the truck driver’s testimony to be reliable. He didn’t know the mayor and had no reason to make a false accusation.
Schuiling had also been caught in a similar scenario before.
However, in both his initial hearing and the appeal, Schuiling’s legal team argued that Schuiling wasn’t masturbating. They claimed he had instead unbuttoned his pants and started massaging his stomach as a result of a stomach ache.
An argument about masturbation and impotency
During his appeal, the former mayor revealed the medical records he had kept behind closed doors during his initial hearing: he is impotent following a heart surgery.
This, his team argued, means that he is unable to masturbate.
While the truck driver spoke again at his appeal, and admitted that Schuiling’s movements were “somewhat slow” if they did involve masturbation, the Court of Appeal argued that masturbation is indeed possible, even when impotent. (The things you hear in a court room.)
As a result of the court’s findings, the Public Prosecution Service has once again demanded a €250 fine from Schuiling. He will also now have a criminal record.
If Schuiling wants, he can take his appeal to the Supreme Court, but whether or not this will happen has yet to be seen. Regardless, there will be no happy ending for the former mayor.
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