Head Piet received death threats over story line in Sinterklaas show

Niels van der Laan, the Head Piet in the Sinterklaasjournaal, has received multiple death threats this week, Merel Westrik, the presenter of the kids’ show, revealed on the talk show Eva. The NTR confirmed the threats, RTL Nieuws reports.

Van der Laan has portrayed Head Piet, Sinterklaas’s main helper, on the kids’ show for years. Westrik did not elaborate on the content of or reasons behind the threats, but many parents are angry about the Sinterklaasjournaal’s storyline this year, as is evident by countless social media posts.

In the program, Head Piet suggested that, if Sinterklaas and the Pieten couldn’t manage it, parents could secretly buy presents for Pakjesavond. Then the party could go ahead, even in the event of disaster for the Sint and his helpers. According to some parents, Head Piet has revealed the secret of Sinterklaas and destroyed the magic.

“We have a wonderful celebration, a beautiful tradition; it’s very sad that this is happening,” Westrik said on the talk show. “We assume that you watch the Sinterklaasjournaal together and that you talk to each other in tense situations and reassure each other.”

She is therefore astonished that Van der Laan, who portrays a beloved character in a show for children, is receiving death threats, apparently from parents. “What you can’t do as grownups is issue death threats against Head Piet. That’s what happened this year. To such an unpleasant, aggressive, and nasty degree that the police had to be called in.”

The NTR, the broadcaster behind the Sinterklaasjournaal, declined to comment on whether they reported the threats to the police. They also would not comment on whether any other Sinterklaasjournaal actors received threats.