Dutch referee Rob Dieperink, 38, committed suicide after he was wrongly accused of sexually assaulting a minor boy..

Dutch referee Rob Dieperink, 38, has committed suicide on Wednesday, citing local media reports. He was wrongly accused of sexually assaulting a minor boy.

According to the report, Dieperink maintained his innocence since the false accusation, and the judiciary subsequently confirmed his innocence. However, despite this, FIFA still excluded him from the refereeing team, preventing him from officiating at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, this caused him severe psychological trauma.

During this time, family and friends tried to comfort Dieperink, but he could not accept the false accusation, and the circumstances were too unbearable. Ultimately, Dieperink tragically chose to end his life.

Following the report, the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) and FIFA confirmed the incident. Both expressed in their eulogies that Dieperink was one of the most professional and experienced referees in the Netherlands and Europe, and that his sudden passing was a great loss to the football world. They extended their sincerest condolences to his family.

Dieperink was accused of sexually assaulting an underage boy in April 2026 and was under investigation by the London Metropolitan Police. The incident was recently exposed by the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

The Athletic later contacted the police and received confirmation from a spokesperson. The spokesperson said that police responded immediately after receiving a report and arrested a man in his 30s at an address on Wellesley Road in Croydon.

Police subsequently exhausted all possible methods and leads in their investigation, including collecting CCTV footage and records from all digital devices, but none of these met the "standard threshold for filing a case," ultimately leading to the decision to "not take further action."

A spokesperson for the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) said in an interview that, based on the presumption of innocence, the authorities will continue to fully support Dieperink for the time being.

Furthermore, Dieperink, in an interview with Dutch media outlet De Telegraaf, confirmed the police spokesperson's statement, saying he would not be prosecuted and expressing his disappointment at not being able to officiate at the World Cup.

He said, "I am deeply saddened by the injustice I have been wrongly accused of. I fully cooperated with the police investigation and immediately informed FIFA, UEFA, and the KNVB."

"Following a thorough police investigation, the charges were dismissed, and the case was dropped within two weeks."

"I thank the KNVB for their support and the way they handled the case. FIFA's decision not to appoint me for the World Cup is, of course, disappointing."

However, due to the seriousness of the allegations and the sensitive timing, FIFA decided to remove Dieperink from his officiating duties at this summer's World Cup.

His position was later filled by French referee Willy Delajod.

Image source: Internet / The Athletic