The Voice: 5 sex crime charges; 20 misconduct reports

So far, the police have received five charges of sex crimes against persons involved in the TV program The Voice of Holland. The police also received 20 reports of possible inappropriate and sexually transgressive behavior about these people.

The police did not say which persons from The Voice were involved for privacy reasons. The case about the RTL 4 program came to light through an online broadcast of program BOOS last month, in which maker Tim Hofman spoke about sexually transgressive behavior behind the scenes of The Voice. Nineteen women spoke about misconduct by band leader Jeroen Rietbergen, fifteen about a director, and two women filed charges against coach Ali B. One of those charges is for rape, the prosecutor said in the episode. Former coach Marco Borsato was also accused of groping.

In recent weeks, dozens of victims of sexual abuse or unwanted sexual behavior reported to the police. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) is assessing these reports but cannot yet say when this will be completed.

"In the coming period, victims can still come to us with their story," the police stressed. "We see that a broad social debate started about sexually transgressive behavior. And that it started a movement. The vice squads are receiving more calls than usual. It is not only victims around the Voice of Holland who find their voice. Most calls have nothing to do with that program. This involves, for example, reports of assault, rape, or sexual abuse that happened years ago."

The police are making a distinction between charges and reports. A report does not usually lead to a criminal investigation, but charges can result in an investigation led by the OM.

When the story about The Voice came out, Rietbergen resigned as the bandleader. Linda de Mol's now ex-partner acknowledged that he had relationships of a "sexual nature" with women involved in the program. Ali B. denies the allegations. He also resigned in the meantime. The director, against whom two women pressed charges, also denies the allegations.

RTL 4 decided to remove the program and announced an independent investigation with the producer.