Monday, 18 May 2015 - 10:01
Jumbo fires staff behind customer's assault, false theft claim
A number employees of the Jumbo supermarket on Boutenslaan in Eindhoven have been dismissed for assaulting a customer who was suspected of shoplifting two weeks ago.
A spokesperson for the supermarket confirmed the dismissal to Omroep Brabant. The supermarket has also taken "internal measures" to prevent such an incident happening again. "We regret what happened in our supermarket", the Jumbo spokesperson said. "But we also want to leave it at that."
The incident happened on May 2nd. An unnamed Eindhoven man entered the Jumbo supermarket with a bottle of wine he had bought at another store. He was confronted by six employees who accused him of shoplifting. He was kicked in the back and forced to the floor. Once at the police station, it turned out that the customer was telling the truth. He had a receipt for the wine, which Jumbo does not even sell.
A spokesperson for the victim said that he is happy that Jumbo is taking responsibility. In an anonymous letter to Omroep Brabant a few days after the incident, the victim called the situation "medieval". It is so unreal, what happened. It looked like some medieval circus. Everyone saw how I was treated like a thief,” he commented on the incident.