Netherlands – scandal over hounding the innocent

The Dutch government is another one in turmoil. In this case over an escalating scandal in which thousands of parents were wrongly accused by tax officials of fraud, plunging many families into debt by ordering them to repay childcare allowances. They were pursued through the courts, ordered to repay benefits and denied the right to appeal over several years from 2012. Some were pushed close to bankruptcy or forced to move house by unjust claims for tens of thousands of euros when the alleged fr