Fired MH17 pathologist wants apology, reparations

By Janene Pieters on August 12, 2015 - 09:29
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Fired MH17 investigator George Maat wants an apology from Minister Ard van der Steur of Security and Justice and RTL Nieuws. He also wants reparations.

The pathologist said this on the on radio program Dit is de dag and television program Jinek on Tuesday, the Telegraaf reports. He called RTL's conduct "indecent" on the radio program. "I can do nothing else but ask for reparation", Maat said on Jinek. "And explain that this method is not unusual."

Maat came into disrepute after giving a lecture on the body identification process, during which he showed graphic photos of flight MH17 victims. RTL Nieuws reported on the lecture in April and a short time late Minister Van der Steur called Maat's actions "extremely inappropriate and distasteful".

This resulted in Maat being first suspended, and then fired from the National Forensic Investigation Team.

Last week the Justice Minister wrote a letter to the Tweede Kamer, lower house of parliament, stating that clear arrangements should have been made for the use of material like the MH17 photographs being used in lectures and education. Maat thought he was allowed to give such a lecture because others, including one of his colleagues, were giving similar lecture.

The difference between Maat's lecture and other similar lectures was that the others had gotten permission to do so. Maat's lecture, while officially meant for students of Health Sciences in Maastricht, was also open for others to attend.

On Tuesday the pathologist stated that his lecture was not a public lecture and that everyone who wanted to attend had to show their student card and sign up. According to him, the RTL employees secretly slipped into the lecture.

Pieter Klein, deputy editor or RTL Nieuws, responded to Maat's demand for an apology on Twitter. "And no, we will not apologize for one journalistic meticulous publication that served the public interest."

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