A court has ruled that a school in the central city of Zwolle does not have to pay compensation to a former pupil who was forced into prostitution.

During her time at the school, Maria Mosterd was the victim of what in the Netherlands is euphemistically described as a ‘loverboy’ – a young pimp who forms a relationship with a young girl in order to force her to work as a prostitute.

Ms Mosterd, now aged 20, said the school failed to provide a safe learning environment and ignored her frequent absences. She demanded 74,000 euros in damages. However, the court found that the school had not acted wrongly, and the primary responsibility for care lay with the girl’s parents.

Having become ensnared by her pimp boyfriend, Maria Mosterd was regularly subjected to physical, emotional and sexual abuse. She has written two books recounting her experiences, the first of which, Real men don’t eat cheese: four years in the hands of a loverboy, is to be made into a film.

Maria Mosterd's book "Real men don't eat cheese" (mariamosterd.nl)