Samenvatting

When an order for damages – or ‘schadevergoedingsmaatregel’ – has been given in Dutch criminal proceedings, the administering judge subsequently has to order that if the convicted person fails to pay the order, so-called substituting detention will be applied (art. 36f par. 6 jo. 24c of the Dutch Criminal Code). This implies that persons who have been long-term convicted and/or have been placed at the disposal of the government (‘terbeschikkingstelling’) and who do not have the financial capacity to pay a substantial amount of the order for damages, need to undergo an inevitable substituting detention. Therefore, the term ‘substituting’ is misleading, since it does not eliminate the duty to pay the order for damages. For this reason, convicted persons with little financial capacity are de facto administered two punishments, the order for damages ánd the ‘substituting’ detention. Moreover, for both victims and society as a whole, the measure does not provide any solace. This article will discuss the legal and practical issues of the substituting detention related to the order for damages concerning convicted persons as well as the consequences for society and victims.