Sharp criticism over handling of allegations against Labour MP Gijs van Dijk

Experts are very critical of the investigation into alleged transgressive behavior by former PvdA parliamentarian Gijs van Dijk. They called the investigation “messy work” and “careless” and were surprised that the labor party drew such harsh conclusions from that report, EenVandaag reports.

Gijs van Dijk resigned as PvdA parliamentarian on February 8 this year following accusations of transgressive behavior. The PvdA asked the integrity office Bezemer & Schubad to investigate. It published its report in June. PvdA chairman Esther-Mirjam Sent called the findings “serious” and said it is “undesirable for Gijs van Dijk to hold a position on behalf of the PvdA in the next four years.”

But according to Marjan Olfers, professor of law, and Rob van Eijbergen, professor of the integrity of organizations, the investigation was entirely too subjective. According to them, Bezemer & Schubad focused too much on the feelings of the persons who accused Van Dijk and too little on objectifiable facts. The rebuttal was flawed, the conclusion ambiguous, and the assessment framework unclear, the professors said to EenVandaag.

The conclusion of the Bezemer & Schubad report stated: “It is also plausible that reporters feel they have been treated inappropriately or transgressively.” As stated on the party’s website, the PvdA took this to mean this: “The investigation has shown that Van Dijk has committed transgressive behavior towards several people.”

Ven Eijbergen called that surprising. “The party states on its website that Gijs van Dijk committed transgressive behavior, which I do not agree with based on the soft conclusions of the investigation.”

The PvdA told EenVandaag that the conclusion that Van Dijk committed transgressive behavior can be drawn from the Bezemer & Schubad report. Bezemer & Schubad would not respond to the program’s questions on this investigation.

Van Dijk’s lawyer Christiaan Alberdingk Thijm demanded that the Bezemer & Schubad report be made public immediately. “Gijs has nothing to hide,” the lawyer said to the program. He called it incomprehensible that only the client - the PvdA in this case - is allowed to view the report. “All case law is public. That is not without reason. This way, we can check and verify the case law. It prevents arbitrariness and partiality.”