Prosecutors seek 2.5-year prison term for rapper Ali B in sexual assault appeal
Dutch prosecutors on Monday asked the Court of Appeal to impose a 30-month prison sentence on rapper Ali B at the conclusion of a three-day appeal hearing that included closing arguments, reassessment of multiple sexual assault allegations, and additional witness testimony requested by the defence.
Prosecutors told the court that the impact on the complainants remains significant and ongoing, stating that they continue to experience psychological consequences as a result of what they allege occurred.
The hearing ended with Ali B again denying all allegations. In his final statement, he expressed that he felt overwhelmed by the situation and wanted to leave the courtroom and return to his children. He also asked the court to acquit him, emphasising that his case should be decided strictly on the facts and not on public perception or reputation.
During the final phase of the appeal, the court heard additional witnesses introduced by the defence. One of them was the former partner of singer Ellen ten Damme, who described observing her emotional condition in the days following the alleged incident in 2014. He stated that she appeared distressed and withdrawn, and that her behaviour suggested she had experienced something serious.
The court also heard from a production manager involved in the television programme Ali B en de Muziekkaravaan, which is linked to the allegation concerning ten Damme. Her testimony was heard behind closed doors.
The Public Prosecution Service objected to the late introduction of at least one of these witnesses. Prosecutors argued that the defence had brought forward new testimony at a very late stage in the proceedings, limiting the prosecution’s ability to properly prepare and respond. They described this approach as an ambush tactic and warned that it risked disrupting the orderly conduct of the appeal. The court nevertheless allowed the witnesses to be heard in order to avoid delaying the case further.
In 2024, the District Court in Haarlem convicted Ali B of rape and attempted rape and sentenced him to two years in prison. The conviction included findings related to the alleged rape of Ellen ten Damme and an attempted rape in a separate incident. Both the defence and the Public Prosecution Service appealed the ruling, with prosecutors now seeking a higher sentence based on their reassessment of the evidence.
Ten Damme stated that she was raped in April 2014 in a hotel in Meknès, Morocco, during recordings for the AVROTROS programme Ali B en de Muziekkaravaan. Prosecutors said they consider her account supported by sufficient corroborating evidence.
A second complainant alleged rape and sexual assault in August 2018 during a songwriting camp in Heiloo. She stated that while she was in a bedroom performing oral sex with rapper Ronnie Flex, Ali B inserted his fingers into her without consent. She also described earlier alleged incidents in other parts of the house. Prosecutors said they regard her statements as consistent and credible.
A third allegation involved former The Voice of Holland contestant Jill Helena, who said she was taken in May 2018 to Martin Luther King Park in Amsterdam, where she was allegedly forced into a sexual act. The prosecution requested acquittal on this charge due to insufficient corroborating evidence, a position previously accepted by the court of first instance.
Ali B has consistently denied all allegations. He has stated that any sexual contact was consensual and that no coercion took place. In his final statement on appeal, he reiterated that the case should be judged strictly on evidence presented in court, and that external perception should not play a role in the verdict. He also stressed the impact the proceedings have had on his family life.
The Court of Appeal is scheduled to deliver its judgment on 7 May at 10:00, deciding whether the original conviction will be upheld, reduced, or overturned.
