At the now-bankrupt Linge’s Zorglandgoed in Rumpt, in Gelderland province, former staff and families allege a pattern of abuse and intimidation involving vulnerable dementia patients, including an incident in which a resident was struck in the groin and forced into a car, and separate allegations of a nighttime assault in which a client was beaten and kicked, de Gelderlander reported.

Nine former employees, along with two anonymous reports and three family members, described what they call a culture of fear, neglect, and retaliation inside the care facility, which was designed as an open, nature-based “paradise” for people with dementia but collapsed into bankruptcy in 2025 before a restart in 2026.

Mercedes Raats, who worked as a caregiver from 2019 to 2022, said she witnessed a man with dementia being physically assaulted after he wandered off and refused to enter a vehicle. She said the husband of then-director Nicoline van Iperen intervened. “He gave him a knee to his genitals and forcibly pushed him into the car,” Raats said. She later filed a report with the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) and resigned shortly after, saying, “I had seen too much and could no longer cope.”

De Gelderlander reviewed multiple allegations, including Raats’ account, and reported having seen documents, photographs, and audio recordings that support staff and family statements.

Former caregiver Doret van der Linden said she reported a separate incident in which she allegedly saw Van Iperen’s husband “hit and kick a client at night.”

She said she was dismissed after attempting to report it. “What a pity you think you saw this,” she said Van Iperen told her when she raised concerns. Van der Linden also said she was warned she would “never work anywhere else again” and told to “watch her children carefully” if she pursued complaints.

The husband, who worked as manager of technical and facility services and had no formal care duties, is repeatedly described by former staff as dominating daily care interactions. Several employees said residents appeared frightened of him.

Former caregiver Menka Veth-de Jongh said residents reacted with fear when he entered rooms. “He always came in with a loud, dominant voice, and clients would say, ‘Nurse, that man is here again. I find him such a scary man.’”

She also described alleged verbal humiliation, including a comment to a wheelchair-bound resident: “Go walk, you lazy person.” Another former employee said he once pulled a resident’s keycord and told a visually impaired woman who had damaged a door key, “You don’t get a key anymore; if you want to break things, do it outside.”

A daughter of a former resident, Yvon Boon, described serious neglect following a fall that caused a severe hip fracture. “They had placed her in a wheelchair with two paracetamols in a separate room because she was screaming,” Boon told de Gelderlander.

Boon said she later found her mother with repeated unexplained bruising on her arms, legs, and neck. She also reported seeing photos showing extensive bruising after what staff described as a “prick.” She filed complaints with authorities and police but said there was insufficient evidence for prosecution.

Former staff also alleged systemic retaliation against whistleblowing. Doret van der Linden said she was accused of medication theft and fired after reporting concerns. Another employee said reporting misconduct resulted in gag orders, threats, and internal isolation. “If you said something, you were no longer allowed to talk to colleagues,” one said.

Reports also allege that care documentation was altered after incidents. Raats said she was instructed to delete a report describing the car incident. She refused. “Later I learned my report had been changed,” she said, adding that a facial injury was reattributed to self-harm in the revised version.

Interim director Charles Laurey allegedly confirmed concerns about the internal culture. In an email to supervisors, he described “a sick closed system of which the supervisors were unaware.” He added, “Only after the bankruptcy in 2025 and the restart in 2026 did the more concrete stories emerge.”

Laurey said he had seen signs of “improper treatment of vulnerable residents,” though he said he had no direct proof of abuse at the time.

Laurey also said the organization operated as a tightly controlled family structure centered on Van Iperen and her husband, and that staff eventually stopped reporting concerns. He also confirmed that 16 surveillance cameras had been installed and later removed after he raised privacy concerns.

Additional allegations include inadequate safety systems under an “open-door policy.” The Wuzzi tracking system for residents was reportedly unreliable or had dead batteries. Two residents later died outside the facility; one man was found in a ditch near the estate after dying from hypothermia following a day-long search.

Staff also described severe care deficiencies, including washing soiled clothing at 86°F (30°C) even during outbreaks and mixing contaminated laundry with clean items. Food and drink provisions were allegedly downgraded over time, with juice diluted and later replaced by powdered drinks.

Several residents reportedly slept in shared living rooms or utility areas for weeks due to lack of rooms, including one man who spent seven weeks in a communal space.

Van Iperen and her husband deny all allegations, calling them false and part of a coordinated effort by the supervisory board and interim management to damage their reputation. “I do not recognize that picture at all,” Van Iperen said.

Her husband denied any physical violence, saying, “I have never hit or kicked anyone.”

They also claimed staff were “brainwashed” by interim management and said a court had criticized the supervisory board in unrelated proceedings. They have filed a defamation complaint, alleging reputational harm, and are reportedly considering further legal action.