Vereniging Martijn
A Dutch organization that advocated social acceptance of adult–child sexual relationships and the legalization of such relationships.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Vereniging Martijn, also known as the Martijn Association and stylized as MARTIJN, was a Dutch advocacy organization established in 1984. It promoted the social acceptance of what it described as relationships between adults and children and argued for the legalization of sexual relationships between adults and minors. Its public position centered on claims that children could consent to such relationships and that they should have the freedom to end them. These claims were rejected by Dutch authorities and courts, which emphasized the protection of children and the incompatibility of the organization's views with prevailing social and legal norms. The association presented itself as opposing discrimination and political repression and as supporting what it called objective, scientifically verifiable discussion. In practice, its public identity was closely associated with advocacy for the normalization of pedophilia and with publications and online activity concerning sexual relationships between adults and children. From 1986 to 2006, it published OK Magazine. The magazine was distributed by mail rather than through ordinary retail outlets and contained essays, letters, interviews, and photographs of scantily dressed or naked children, predominantly boys. This publication became an important part of the organization's public controversy. Vereniging Martijn faced organized opposition in the Netherlands, particularly in 2003 when the Actiecomité Stop MARTIJN arranged demonstrations and other efforts against it. The organization also attracted national attention in 2007 after photographs of Princess Catharina-Amalia, then three years old, appeared on a forum associated with its website. The royal family obtained a court order requiring removal of the images; the court imposed a recurring penalty for republication and ordered the organization to pay legal costs. The organization came under further scrutiny after a police investigation connected downloads of illegal child sexual-abuse material to the internet connection of its president, Ad van den Berg. His home was searched in October 2010, and he was arrested in March 2011 after additional material and computers were seized. Authorities reported finding large quantities of illegal material. Membership or association with MARTIJN was also reported in connection with suspects in the Amsterdam kindergarten abuse investigation, although criminal responsibility for individual acts was not automatically attributed to the association itself. The organization became the subject of successive legal proceedings over whether its continued existence was lawful. In June 2011, the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice stated that the association's activities, considered separately from crimes committed by individuals, were not then sufficient to prosecute or dissolve it. In June 2012, however, a court in Assen ordered the organization to cease its activities and disband, finding that its statements and actions conflicted with accepted norms and values and that child protection outweighed its associational interests. A higher court reversed that ruling in April 2013 on freedom-of-association grounds. On 18 April 2014, the Supreme Court reinstated the original dissolution order. The association's subsequent application to the European Court of Human Rights was rejected in 2015. Vereniging Martijn is therefore regarded as defunct.
History
Vereniging Martijn was founded in the Netherlands in 1984 as an organization advocating the social acceptance of sexual relationships between adults and children. It framed its objectives in terms of acceptance of child–adult relationships, claimed that both parties could consent, and asserted that a child should be able to withdraw from such a relationship. The association also described itself as committed to freedom of expression, opposition to discrimination, and discussion based on what it considered objective and scientifically verifiable facts. These positions placed it at the center of sustained public and political condemnation in the Netherlands. From 1986 through 2006, the association published OK Magazine. Distributed by mail and not through ordinary shops, the publication contained essays, letters, interviews, and photographs of scantily dressed or naked children, mainly boys. Its publication activity reinforced the association's connection with the broader international phenomenon of pedophile advocacy organizations and became part of the evidence and public debate surrounding the group. The organization also maintained an online presence, including a forum where material concerning children was posted. Opposition intensified in 2003. Actiecomité Stop MARTIJN organized demonstrations and campaigns against the association, with involvement from Michiel Smit of the New Right, Florens van der Kooi of the NNP, and Inge Bleecke of Moeders tegen Pedofilie. One demonstration associated with Smit was cancelled by the mayor of Rotterdam after an antifascist group threatened to disrupt it. The episode illustrated how the association's activities became entangled with wider disputes involving public order, political extremism, and child-protection activism. In 2007, the group received renewed national attention after photographs of Princess Catharina-Amalia, the three-year-old daughter of Willem-Alexander and Máxima, appeared on a forum associated with the organization's website. The royal family sought judicial intervention. A court ordered that the photographs be removed and imposed a penalty of €5,000 for each subsequent placement of photographs of children of the royal family on the site. The organization was also ordered to pay €1,235 in legal costs. The ruling became a prominent example of the legal and reputational risks surrounding its online activities. The association's president, Ad van den Berg, became the focus of a criminal investigation in 2010. Police searched his home in October after tracing downloads of illegal child sexual-abuse material to his internet connection. In March 2011, Van den Berg was arrested and investigators seized further computers and material. Authorities announced that large quantities of illegal material had been found. Reports also noted that suspects in the Amsterdam investigation into abuse of children in kindergartens had been members of MARTIJN. These events intensified public demands that the organization be closed, while Dutch authorities maintained a legal distinction between crimes committed by individuals and the legal status of the association itself. A further controversy arose in May 2011 when Herman Spronck, head of the Dutch branch of the Salesian Catholic order, acknowledged that a priest had served on the association's board until the raids involving Van den Berg. The priest, identified in reports as Father Van B., and Spronck gave interviews in which they argued that adult–child sexual contact was not invariably harmful. The priest had previous convictions for child sexual abuse. Salesian provincial Jos Claes initiated disciplinary proceedings against Spronck, while the order publicly distanced itself from the priest's involvement. On 18 June 2011, the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice announced that the association's activities were not illegal in themselves and that the organization could not be prosecuted, banned, or dissolved solely because of crimes committed by members. The legal position changed after proceedings brought against the association. On 27 June 2012, a court in Assen ruled that Vereniging Martijn was illegal and ordered it to cease its activities and disband immediately. The judge held that its statements and actions concerning adult–child sexual contact conflicted with accepted norms and values in Dutch society and emphasized the overriding importance of protecting children. In April 2013, an appellate court overturned the dissolution order, giving greater weight to freedom of association. The Dutch Supreme Court reversed that outcome on 18 April 2014 and reinstated the trial court's order. The association then pursued a complaint before the European Court of Human Rights, but the application was rejected in 2015. Following the final Dutch ruling and the unsuccessful European challenge, Vereniging Martijn ceased to operate and is treated as defunct.
- 2015
European human-rights appeal rejected
[1]The European Court of Human Rights rejected the association's challenge to its dissolution.
- 2014
Supreme Court restores dissolution
[1]The Dutch Supreme Court reinstated the trial court's order requiring the association to disband.
- 2013
Appellate court reverses dissolution
[1]A higher Dutch court overturned the dissolution order on freedom-of-association grounds.
- 2012
Assen court orders dissolution
[1]The court ruled that the organization was illegal and ordered it to cease operating and disband.
- 2011
President arrested and material seized
[1]Van den Berg was arrested and investigators seized additional computers and material; authorities reported finding large quantities of illegal material.
- 2010
Police raid president's home
[1]Police searched Ad van den Berg's home during an investigation into downloads of illegal child sexual-abuse material.
- 2007
Court orders removal of royal-family photographs
[1]A Dutch court ordered removal of photographs of Princess Catharina-Amalia from the organization's online forum and imposed a recurring penalty for republication.
- 2006
OK Magazine ends
[1]Publication of OK Magazine ended after two decades of mail distribution.
- 2003
Organized opposition expands
[1]Actiecomité Stop MARTIJN organized demonstrations and other opposition activities against the association.
- 1986
OK Magazine begins publication
[1]The association began publishing OK Magazine, which was distributed by mail and continued until 2006.
Products and positioning
A highly controversial Dutch advocacy organization seeking normalization and legal acceptance of adult–child sexual relationships.
Advocacy publication · 1986
OK Magazine
A periodical published by Vereniging Martijn from 1986 to 2006. It was distributed through the mail rather than sold in shops and included essays, letters, interviews, and photographs of scantily dressed or naked children, primarily boys. The magazine functioned as one of the association's principal vehicles for articulating its advocacy and connecting with supporters.
Online advocacy platform
Online forum
An online forum connected with the association's website. It became the subject of legal controversy after photographs of Princess Catharina-Amalia were displayed there in 2007, leading to a court order requiring their removal and penalizing republication.
Controversies
2011
Arrest and seizure of illegal material
Van den Berg was arrested after further searches, and authorities reported finding large quantities of illegal child sexual-abuse material among the seized items.
2011
Salesian priest's board membership
A Dutch Salesian official confirmed that a priest with previous child-sex-abuse convictions had served on the association's board. The priest's public defense of adult–child sexual contact led to disciplinary action within the Salesian order.
2010
Investigation involving Ad van den Berg
Police searched the home of president Ad van den Berg after tracing downloads of illegal child sexual-abuse material to his internet connection.
2007
Photographs of Princess Catharina-Amalia displayed online
Photographs of the three-year-old Princess Catharina-Amalia appeared on a forum associated with the organization. A court ordered their removal and imposed a recurring penalty for republishing photographs of royal children.
Marketing campaigns
- 2003Actiecomité Stop MARTIJN opposition campaign
Netherlands
Actiecomité Stop MARTIJN organized demonstrations and public opposition to Vereniging Martijn. The campaign involved activists and political figures including Michiel Smit, Florens van der Kooi, and Inge Bleecke.
Outcome. The campaign increased public pressure on the association, although it did not immediately result in its dissolution.
Brand decisions
2014
Supreme Court reinstates dissolution orderOtherBackground
The appellate court had previously treated the association's freedom of association as sufficient to reverse the initial dissolution order.
Action taken
The Supreme Court overturned the appellate outcome and reinstated the trial court's order to disband.
Aftermath
The association's later European human-rights challenge was rejected in 2015, and the organization became defunct.
2012
Assen court orders the association to dissolveOtherBackground
The court considered the association's statements and actions concerning adult–child sexual contact incompatible with accepted Dutch norms and placed overriding importance on protecting children.
Action taken
The court declared the organization illegal and ordered it to cease its activities and disband immediately.
Aftermath
The decision was overturned by an appellate court in 2013 but ultimately restored by the Supreme Court in 2014.
2006
End publication of OK MagazineOtherBackground
The association had published OK Magazine by mail since 1986.
Action taken
Publication of the magazine ceased.
Aftermath
The organization continued its advocacy through other activities, including its online presence.
Recent events
- 2015
European Court of Human Rights rejects appeal[1]
Lawsuit · Regulation
The association's challenge to the Dutch dissolution decision was rejected by the European Court of Human Rights.
- 2013
Higher court temporarily overturns dissolution order[1]
Lawsuit · Regulation
An appellate court reversed the 2012 order, holding that the association's freedom of association protected its continued existence at that stage of the proceedings.
- 2011
Dutch Ministry says association cannot yet be prosecuted or dissolved[1]
Regulation · Lawsuit
The Ministry of Security and Justice stated that the association's activities were not themselves illegal at that point and that crimes by individual members could not automatically be attributed to the organization.
- 2003
Actiecomité Stop MARTIJN organizes opposition and demonstrations[1]
Campaign · Other
The anti-Martijn group Actiecomité Stop MARTIJN organized demonstrations and opposition campaigns involving figures associated with the New Right, the NNP, and Moeders tegen Pedofilie.
Sources1 sources
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