Coronavirus fines will appear on adults’ criminal records — is that fair?

People are getting concerned about the impact of a corona fine on their future. This is because, for many people, it will appear on their criminal record. 

BOAs and police officers have handed out over 10,000 fines to people who have not complied with the coronavirus rules in the Netherlands. For people under 18 years of age, the fine is €95. Because it is under €100, it will not appear on their record. However, the situation is different for adults who have been hit with a corona fine.

For anyone over 18 years of age, the fine is €390— well over the €100 limit. That means that the fine will remain on your record for five years. Any future employers can see it, for example, which could be particularly damaging if you wanted to go into governance, healthcare, or anything where you would be in the public eye.

Jeroen Soeteman, lawyer and chairman of the Dutch Association of Criminal Lawyers, says that the consequences of a coronavirus fine are disproportionate and that people should object to them in court in an interview with NU.nl. According to him, the government did not inform its citizens well enough for non-compliance with the coronavirus rules to be punished so severely.

What do you think about corona fines appearing on your criminal record? Is the punishment too harsh? Let us know in the comments below.

Feature Image: Abuzer van Leeuwen/Supplied. 

Ailish Lalor
Ailish Lalor
Ailish was born in Sydney, Australia, but grew up by a forest in south-east Ireland, which she has attempted to replace with a living room filled with plants in The Hague. Besides catering to her army of pannenkoekenplantjes, Ailish spends her days convincing her friends that all food is better slightly burnt, plotting ways to hang out with dogs and cats, and of course, writing for DutchReview.

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