Prosecutors seek €250 fine for former Groningen mayor on appeal

Prosecutors have asked an appeal court in Zwolle to fine former Groningen mayor Koen Schuiling €250 for public indecency. A judge imposed the same fine in March 2025, but Schuiling appealed the conviction. [1] [2] [3]

The case concerns 25 March 2024, when prosecutors say Schuiling masturbated while driving on the A7 between Hoogezand and Groningen. He denies doing so and says he was rubbing his lower abdomen because he was in severe pain. [1] [2]

At the appeal hearing, prosecutors argued that a lorry driver had a clear view into Schuiling’s car as the vehicles travelled alongside one another. His lawyers challenged the driver’s ability to see what happened, citing darkness, roadworks, traffic and the brevity of the observation. They also argued that there was too little supporting evidence for a conviction. [2]