Racism whistleblower no longer welcome at Hague police
Fatima Abouloufa, a team chief at the Leiden police who was suspended after drawing public attention to discrimination within the police, is no longer welcome at the police unit Den Haag, which covers Leiden. Paul van Musscher, police chief in The Hague, informed her that she does not have enough support from a dozen managers in the unit, NRC reports.
In June Abouloufa posted on Instagram about racism, discrimination, abuse of power and bullying within the police organization. She wrote that the police management ignores both whistleblowers and complaints.
After her post, she was placed on forced leave because her criticism caused "too much internal tensions" at the police unit Den Haag.
Abouloufa's suspension raised eyebrows, because it happened shortly after National Police Chief Erik Akerboom emphasized the importance of diversity within the police. In a blog posted after he met with Abouloufa, he called it "painful and unacceptable" that "the leadership sometimes overlooks" reports of wrongdoing by police officers.
Abouloufa wants to continue working for the police, even if it means moving to another part of the country, she said to NRC. The police have not yet attempted to find her a new workplace, she said.
A spokesperson for the police in The Hague told NRC that the police leadership "continues to search" for a solution for Abouloufa "outside the unit Den Haag".
