A former mayor convicted of indecent exposure while driving has launched an appeal, insisting he was only soothing an upset stomach. Koen Schuiling, 67, was fined €250 (£212) after the incident on the A7 motorway between Hoogezand and Groningen in the Netherlands.
Trucker's testimony
A court heard that a truck driver spotted Schuiling driving alongside him with the vehicle's interior light on in March 2024. The milk lorry driver claimed he saw the former Groningen mayor with his trousers unzipped and holding his private parts.
Giving evidence to an examining magistrate, the witness said: "I can still see it clearly. I saw unmistakably that he had his genitals in his hand." The trucker confronted Schuiling after the alleged incident and recorded their conversation, in which the politician claimed he was urgently searching for a quiet spot to have a wee.
Appeal arguments
However, Schuiling strongly denies any wrongdoing and insists the entire situation was a huge misunderstanding caused by a sudden bout of severe stomach pain. Speaking at the appeal court in Zwolle, Schuiling said: "To ease the pain, I loosened my belt and lowered my zipper slightly. I rubbed my lower abdomen with my hand. That is what happened. I did not take my trousers off, nor did I pull up my shirt."
Prosecutors are pushing for the original €250 fine to be upheld, arguing that public officials should be held to a higher standard. "A mayor is expected to follow the rules more closely than anyone else," the attorney general told the court. Defence lawyers argued the lorry driver could not have seen the event clearly enough, branding his statement unreliable and demanding a full acquittal.
Courtroom twist and aftermath
The case took another twist when the presiding judge banned courtroom artists from sketching Schuiling to protect his privacy - a decision described as unprecedented for a public official in Dutch legal history. Schuiling stepped down from his post as mayor in October 2024 following mounting pressure surrounding the scandal.
Addressing the packed court, he said: "Apart from that, I have been cancelled. I want my good name restored. I did not do this." The appeal continues.
