Singer Marco Borsato faces five-month prison term for alleged sex abuse of 15-year-old

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) is recommending five months in prison against Dutch singer Marco Borsato, 58, for sexual misconduct with a 15-year-old girl. The alleged incidents took place between September 2014 and January 2015, including at the homes of both parties and in the dressing room of The Voice of Holland.

The prosecution alleges that Borsato repeatedly touched the girl’s thighs, breasts, and vagina, both over and under her clothing. He is also accused of having the girl touch his genitals; however, the prosecution has asked the court to acquit him on that count.

According to the prosecution, there is enough corroborating evidence to show that Borsato committed sexual acts. In a recorded conversation with the alleged victim’s mother, the prosecutor noted that Borsato “does not deny it, but confesses.” In the recording, he acknowledges touching the girl and admits it was “perhaps inappropriate.”

The prosecution argued that Borsato participated in the family’s permissive sexual environment, but stressed that this did not give him permission to touch a minor. Borsato, who was seen as a father figure by the girl, abused that position, the prosecutor said. “He touched her in intimate areas where he should never have,” the prosecutor added.

Borsato claimed that the alleged victim should have corrected his behavior. “But sexual abuse is never the fault of a child, never,” he said.

The alleged victim said she hopes the singer will admit he was wrong. The statement comes from the now 26-year-old woman. It was read in court by her lawyer, Peter Plasman.

The woman stated that she “doesn’t want money, and you don’t need to go to prison for me.” She added, “It is up to the judge to decide the outcome; it doesn’t matter to me. I also understand that the consequences for you are already very serious.”

“What I want is for you to acknowledge that what you did was wrong,” the woman said. “You caused me a great deal of pain. It may not have been your intention, and perhaps at the time you didn’t fully understand your actions, but you could have recognized it.”

She said that by filing a counter-report, Borsato failed to take responsibility for the pain he caused her. Nevertheless, she believes it is never too late to show genuine remorse. “I would see that as a significant step from you, one that would allow me to move past my sad moments. Something inside me tells me it would be no different for you,” she said.

Borsato responded emotionally to the victim's statement. “It’s clear that she experienced things very differently. My blood runs cold hearing this. She wants acknowledgment for her feelings. How can I admit to something I did not do? I will leave it at that. I find it deeply saddening,” he said.

The prosecution rejected claims of a conspiracy in which the victim’s mother allegedly sought to harm Borsato. The singer claimed that the mother of the alleged victim had tried to deliberately harm his career by leaking information to the media.

The prosecutor argued that such a scheme would have required her to file a false report, fabricate diary entries, and maintain a consistent story over time. “The victim gains nothing from this; she has suffered greatly herself. By filing her report, she only risked more harm,” the prosecutor said.

The judge reviewed material from the mother’s phone, revealing that she had leaked parts of her daughter’s diary to the press. Borsato stated that the mother had even created a schedule for releasing the information and had shared it with their shared circle of friends.

The singer claims that it is evident the mother was behind the media leak. He adds that her actions, aimed at “destroying,” have caused his career to be “irreversibly harmed.”

Borsato told the judge that he has “not touched a microphone” since his 2019 concerts at De Kuip in Rotterdam. “I simply can’t. The motivation and joy for singing are gone. Even if the court clears me, I don’t know if I will ever be able to perform my craft again.”

At the start of the indictment on Tuesday afternoon, the prosecutor described Marco Borsato as “a man who no longer saw boundaries, whose perception became clouded as the victim developed into a young woman, though she was still a child.”

The prosecution described Borsato as a man who saw the victim grow up, watched her school musical, and supported her during her father’s funeral. “But he is also the man who calls the victim a ‘hot chick’ and buys lingerie for her.”

When determining the sentence, the prosecutor considered factors including the widespread media attention, Borsato’s public profile, and the lengthy preparation leading up to the case.

The woman filed a report in December 2021, and the OM decided in September 2023 to pursue charges against the singer. The prosecutor described the long lead-up to the case as “burdensome for all involved” and highlighted the impact of extensive media attention.

“Everyone knows about this case, and many have an opinion on it. That level of attention is understandable, Borsato is one of the Netherlands’ most famous singers,” she said. The prosecutor also expressed regret that the victim chose not to attend the proceedings, noting that her presence can often be “valuable” in sexual offense cases.

The trial is set to continue on Thursday, when Borsato’s lawyers, Geert-Jan and Carry Knoops, will present their defense.