Outcry after Dutch police manhandle pregnant woman

DUTCH police have found themselves in the middle of an online furore after footage of personnel assaulting a pregnant woman went viral on social media.

The incident, which took place on May 19 in the town of Zeist, came to light over the weekend after videos circulated online of an officer violently pulling a heavily pregnant woman by the arm, causing her to fall to the ground, according to Dutch outlet RTV Utrecht.

The video was filmed inside an asylum seekers’ centre. After she is dragged to the ground, the officer is seen being attacked by a man, who is said to be the woman’s husband.

Media reports indicated that the couple was speaking to police after they were called in over a disturbance complaint.

According to Al Jazeera, the woman’s husband was detained for smashing a television after learning of the death of his relative in Gaza. The woman said her husband was very respectful to the officers, adding that she was grabbed and forced to the ground after simply asking to accompany her husband to detention.

The Al Jazeera report said that the woman went into early labour as a result of her trauma, and gave birth to a premature baby girl.

Although both the baby and the woman are said to have escaped serious injury, questions are being raised over the conduct of the police.

According to the Dutch press, the man was arrested following the incident, but has since been released.

A statement by a spokesperson for Dutch police said the department “will carefully examine all the facts and circumstances,” which also includes assessing the force used by officers.

However, it is not clear whether any disciplinary action has been taken against the officers involved.

“We need to look at what happened there and in what order,” the police statement said.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2026