Joost Klein was "threatening" towards Eurovision camerawoman; Not an assault case
Dutch singer Joost Klein was disqualified from the Eurovision Song Contest because he made a threatening gesture towards a camerawoman who was filming him despite an agreement not to do so, said Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS. Police investigators who looked into the incident at the Malmö Arena confirmed that the case does not involve assault or battery.
The incident happened on Thursday evening immediately after Klein's semi-final performance. "Against clearly made agreements, Joost was filmed when he had just gotten off stage and had to rush to the greenroom. At that moment, Joost repeatedly indicated that he did not want to be filmed," AVROTROS said in an update.
"This wasn't respected. This led to a threatening movement from Joost towards the camera. Joost did not touch the camera woman." The incident was reported to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision. The EBU suspended Klein on Friday, and despite extensive conversations with AVROTROS and the Swedish police, the EBU disqualified him from the event on Saturday.
Police in Sweden have not named Klein as the suspect in the incident for privacy reasons, but police spokesperson Evelina Olsson told RTL Nieuws that they were only investigating "one case of this kind." She said it involves a man who is suspected of making threats.
"It's not a physical crime. It's just a threat," she clarified. "The investigation is now completed." She affirmed earlier police statements that they interviewed their suspect, the alleged victim, and witnesses. The case now rests with the prosecution service to determine how to proceed further.
The EBU said worker safety was paramount, and that it promotes a safe and inclusive work environment for everyone involved in Eurovision. AVROTROS argued that the punishment did not fit the crime, and claimed it had proposed numerous alternative solutions to put the incident to bed. "Nevertheless, the EBU has still decided to disqualify Joost Klein. AVROTROS finds the penalty very heavy and disproportionate," the Dutch broadcaster said.
"We stand for good manners -let there be no misunderstanding about that- but in our view, an exclusion order is not proportional to this incident. We are very disappointed and upset for the millions of fans who were so excited for tonight," the organization wrote at the end of Saturday afternoon.
"What Joost brought to the Netherlands and Europe shouldn't have ended this way."
A petition to get Klein back into Eurovision was signed by over 80,500 by 6 p.m., less than three hours after it launched. "We may not get Joost back, but by signing this we show that we stand with Joost," the petition initiator wrote.
