Children of primary school “De Kleine Reus” in the center of Amsterdam were forced to watch horror films during their stay. The films were shown by a substitute from a childcare organization. The police have the matter under investigation.

How many times it happened at the school is unknown. It is clear, however, that the substitute has shown scary films in at least two classes to a total of forty pupils between the ages of seven and nine. It were films like The Exorcist and District 9, both rated for sixteen years and older.

According to the newspaper “Het Parool”, children from group 5 cried and asked the lunchtime teacher if he wanted to turn off the scary movie. According to a father, children ran into the hallway to hide. Children who cried would have been humiliated by the lunchtime teacher. According to parents, their children no longer dare to go to bed, there are children who have nightmares and some of them wet the bed again.

During lunchtime care in the classroom, educational videos such as “Het Jeugdjournaal” (pupil news) are shown more often on the digital chalkboard. In the case of the substitute, he had The Pink Panther ready under another tab, so that he could quickly switch if an adult suddenly came in. He also asked all children to keep secret that they had watched scary movies.

The substitute in question was immediately dismissed. The principal of the school said in a letter to the parents that he was ‘extremely shocked’. The school has also notified the police. It is unclear at this time what the man’s motive is. The police are investigating the case and are discussing the criminal offenses with the Public Prosecution Service. The substitute was deployed due to a staff shortage at the school.

No one has been arrested yet.