The case of Gerrit-Jan van Dorsten and his family, who were dubbed the “Drenthe hermits” due to their residence in the Dutch province of Drenthe, came to public attention in October 2019. The family, consisting of van Dorsten and six of his adult children, had been living in a secluded farmhouse in the village of Ruinerwold since 2009. Their presence remained unknown to the local community until the eldest son, Israel, then 25, left the property and sought help at a nearby tavern. He reported that he and his siblings had never attended school and had spent years living in a concealed basement area.
The children’s mother had died in 2004, several years before the move to the Ruinerwold farm. In 2009, van Dorsten relocated with part of his family to the rural property, where they would remain largely cut off from society. Their isolation was facilitated by an Austrian handyman, known only as “Josef B.,” who rented the farm and acted as the primary point of contact with the outside world. He provided supplies, while the children remained unregistered in official records.
Van Dorsten, who also used the pseudonym “John Eagles” online, had a history of involvement in fringe religious groups. In the 1980s, he had been associated with Sun Myung Moon’sUnification Church before leaving and developing his own belief system. His views combined elements of Christianity, New Age philosophy, and theosophy, and included the idea of building an ecological utopia. He reportedly viewed the outside world as “unclean” and believed that his family needed to remain hidden in preparation for an anticipated end-of-times scenario.
According to investigators and statements from some of the older children, conditions within the farmhouse were tightly controlled. Allegations included physical punishment, such as beatings, enforced cold showers, and confinement. The eldest four of van Dorsten’s nine children, some of whom had left the family prior to the 2019 discovery, later supported the investigation. In contrast, the five younger siblings initially expressed adherence to their father’s beliefs, stating that their sense of purpose had not changed following police intervention.
Following the discovery in 2019, Gerrit-Jan van Dorsten was arrested and charged with unlawful deprivation of liberty, money laundering, and the sexual abuse of two of his eldest children. Legal proceedings encountered complications due to his health condition. In 2016, he had suffered a major stroke that resulted in significant speech and cognitive impairments. In 2021, a Dutch court determined that he was unfit to stand trial, and the case against him was terminated.
Josef B. faced separate legal proceedings for his involvement. In 2020, he was convicted of unlawful deprivation of liberty and sentenced to three years in prison. The court concluded that he had contributed to maintaining the family’s isolation and had played a role in their confinement. During the investigation, authorities also found that van Dorsten and Josef B. had previously held an elderly man against his will in a nearby town in 2009.
After their removal from the property, the children were placed under state care. Some reports indicated that they had believed they were among the last remaining people in the world.
Key Sources:
BBC News. (2019, November 28). Dutch farm mystery: Children split over charges against father.
Henley, J. (2019, October 15). Six freed after years living in Dutch cellar “waiting for end of time.” The Guardian.
NL Times (2019, October 15). Son escapes, rescues 5 siblings trapped for 9 years with “end of times” father.