13.5-year prison sentence for sexual offences against minors
PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten (March 26, 2026) – The Court of Appeal has sentenced B.E.H.S. to 13 years and 6 months imprisonment for multiple sexual offences committed against minors entrusted to his care, as well as for firearm possession and possession of narcotics.
The judgment was delivered on March 26, 2026, in higher appeal proceedings. The Court set aside the earlier judgment of the Court of First Instance but arrived at largely the same conclusions regarding the defendant’s guilt.
The defendant was found guilty of three counts of rape of minors entrusted to his care, committed repeatedly, one count of attempted rape of a minor entrusted to his care, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of marijuana.
The Court established that the offences were committed over an extended period and involved multiple victims between approximately 5 and 11 years old. According to the Court, the victims were in vulnerable situations and were brought to the defendant’s residence, where the abuse occurred, often during the night.
In determining the sentence, the Court took into account the seriousness and repeated nature of the offences. While the Court of First Instance previously imposed a sentence of 17 years, the Court of Appeal found this to be excessive and determined that a sentence of 14 years was appropriate. Due to a violation of the reasonable time requirement in the appeal phase, the sentence was reduced by six months, resulting in a total prison sentence of 13 years and 6 months.