ZOETERMEER — The Netherlands Institute for Human Rights ruled that Optisport Zoetermeer engaged in unlawful racial discrimination. The ruling stemmed from an incident in which Henri Duiker's 12-year-old Black son was refused entry to the Watergeus municipal pool unless he presented identification, while white children were not subjected to the same requirement.

The incident occurred on a Friday evening in 2024 at the Watergeus pool in Zoetermeer. Pool attendants told Duiker's son he could not swim because he lacked ID to prove he was under 13. However, a friend of the same age and size who was with Duiker's son was not asked for documents.

Duiker's partner observed the pool entrance for 10 minutes following the refusal. Duiker stated, "Every white child was allowed to walk through while every black child was asked for their passport." He added that he complained to the pool management on the day of the incident, but his formal complaint was dismissed.

Duiker then contacted Discriminatie.nl, a national anti-discrimination helpline, which referred him to the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. Optisport Zoetermeer, which operates roughly 400 sports facilities in the Netherlands and Belgium, runs the Watergeus municipal pool. Optisport argued that the 10-minute observation period was unrepresentative of a random checking policy.

The specific control measure applied on July 12, 2024, was abolished after that date. Optisport Chief Executive Albert Arp issued a formal apology letter to Duiker, and the company accepted the Institute's ruling. "Optisport has reviewed its procedures for access and age verification," Arp said. He added that Optisport had been in contact with the family and offered sincere apologies.

The Zoetermeer council also accepted the ruling. A deputy mayor met with Duiker. Councillor Yasir el Achkar stated that Duiker "made it clear that many more children were discriminated against." The municipality stated that a child being treated unequally is unacceptable.

Duiker stated that people "act as though the Netherlands is so tolerant." He also stated that it is "pretty awful to show children of 10, 11, and 12 that they are not equal." Duiker has received hateful messages for speaking out in Dutch media. He stated, "When discrimination happens to you, you hardly dare to say anything." Duiker's parents are Surinamese, and he identifies as a Dutchman. He stated that 53 years later, he remains a "foreigner for some people." He also stated that the issue is about his son and "all of the other children who do not dare to fight."

Why It Matters

The ruling found unlawful racial discrimination by Optisport Zoetermeer, which operates the Watergeus municipal pool. In 2019, UN special rapporteur E. Tendayi Achiume described a "Dutch paradox" where equality was a national value, yet minority ethnic individuals were often not fully recognized as Netherlanders. In 2022, then-finance minister Marnix van Rij acknowledged institutional racism in tax office fraud risk selection, and a childcare benefits scandal disproportionately affected families with dual nationality. The acceptance of the ruling by both Optisport and the Zoetermeer council indicates a recognition of the discriminatory incident.