This contribution (in Dutch) focuses on the rise and fall of the “Commission Adriaenssens”. This commission was installed by the Belgian Catholic church in order to react on the problems of sexual abuse of children “in pastoral relations”, but stopped functioning once a Belgian judge decided to confiscate all of its files. On the basis of the Commission’s Final Report we first describe the Commission’s stated goals to function as a (South-African) “Truth & Reconciliation Commission” in a “complementary way” to traditional criminal justice. Secondly, we critically assess these goals by focussing on the Commission’s restorative and penal tendencies, its ambiguous collaboration agreement with justice and its not so modest comparison with South-African Truth & Reconciliation Commissions. We come to the conclusion that contrary to its own statements, the “Commission Adriaenssens” was not operating in a pure complementary way to criminal justice, nor did it function similar to a South-African Truth & Reconciliation Commission. On the contrary, by claiming “complementarity” and comparing itself with the famous South-African TRC, the Commission created an ambiguous and unclear situation for victims, public opinion and justice. The fall of the Commission Adriaenssens was hence and above all caused by its own ambiguous, unclear and naïve positioning. Key words: Sexual abuse of children – Pastoral relations - Commission Adriaenssens – Truth & Reconciliation Comission – Criminal justice Sleutelwoorden: Seksueel misbruik van kinderen – Pastorale relaties - Commissie Adriaenssens – Waarheids- en verzoeningscommissie - Strafrecht