Two people prosecuted for sexual assault in “The Voice” in the Netherlands

UPDATE DAY

The Dutch public prosecutor's office said on Tuesday that charges would be brought against two people accused of sexual assault in connection with the television program 'The Voice of Holland', the format of which has been exported to more than 150 countries.

The prosecution did not mention names, but according to local media, they are rapper Ali B, 42, a former member of the jury for the famous Dutch TV show, and Jeroen Rietbergen, 51, the show's bandleader.

Rapper Ali B

The original version of the program, in which coaches on swivel chairs choose contestants after listening to them sing ” blind”, was suspended last year by the RTL channel after a series of allegations of sexual assault.

The prosecution said in a statement on Tuesday that a 41-year-old man was being prosecuted for sexually assaulting three women in 2014 and 2018.

Only one of these cases is linked to the show “The Voice of Holland,” the prosecution said.

Another 51-year-old man is charged with a sexual assault in 2018 “in or around the recording studios where the tele-hook was recorded,” he added.

A third case, involving another man, identified by the media as singer and jury member of “The Voice” Marco Borsato, has been dismissed. lack of sufficient evidence, the prosecution continued.

Allegations of sexual abuse to “The Voice” have shocked the Netherlands and raised questions about how the creator of the program and king of the reality TV show John de Mol had followed up on the revelations.

He admitted last year to being aware of the allegations against the show's bandleader. then 2019.