Ruling of the District Court of The Hague on May 17, 2021

The petitioner wishes to change her first name because it causes her severe inconvenience in her daily life. When she was 21 years old, she came into contact with a man with whom she began an intimate relationship. At the time, she was going through a difficult period in her life, but he helped her get her life back on track.

Eventually, the relationship turned harmful as he started to exhibit changes in behavior. He became stricter and took advantage of her vulnerable position. His actions ultimately led her to enter into prostitution. She was too afraid to stand up to him or escape, leading to the worsening of her situation. She grew indifferent to her new life and accepted it. Eventually, after several years, she managed to exit the world of prostitution and get her life in order. She was able to leave behind those traumatic years.

The reason she now wishes to change her name is that she still occasionally confronts her past in prostitution. Her name constantly reminds her of that time, and she no longer wants anything to do with it. She finds the name to be highly burdensome, as she wants to sever all ties with her past. She has been a witness to various traumatic incidents during her time in prostitution, and for a while, she had to carry a police alarm button. Even then, her safety couldn’t be guaranteed. She has been in the process of removing tattoos she got during her time in prostitution. The only thing that remains for her is her name.

For her, it is crucial to be able to adopt a new identity through a first name change. This would allow her to find closure for her traumatic past. Additionally, she believes that the name change will significantly improve her overall well-being because she finds it very difficult to introduce herself to new people out of fear of being recognized. With the help of various agencies, she has succeeded in building a new life.

The court rules that the petitioner has provided sufficient evidence of having a sufficiently compelling reason for the name change request. Therefore, the request is granted.