Clarice Stenger has ended up in a tough TV confrontation with John van den Heuvel, because he is very much in the camp of Marco Borsato’s accuser. “What do you mean humiliating? It’s professional!”
It is remarkable that John van den Heuvel is still welcome in RTL Boulevard as an independent commentator on the Marco Borsato case, because he has been extremely partisan from the start. The journalist advised A., the singer’s complainant, on how to file a report and according to team Marco it is evident that he influenced her.
Arguing with Clarice
John is in RTL Boulevard completely pissed off about the image that team Marco paints of A.’s apparently bizarre mother. “What they have had to deal with in the publicity… The way in which that defense has been conducted is in such a way… I hardly call it victim blaming more, because it goes much, much further.”
Clarice Stenger, the robe of Boulevard, completely disagrees with this. “I really don’t think so. That’s just the role you have as a defense,” she says sternly.
‘The role? No!’
John doesn’t let Clarice finish and immediately decides to shout at her. “That’s just the role? No! You do not have the role as a defender to help a complainant, an alleged victim, become so destructive.”
Clarice: “You have to test whether she is telling the truth and that is done this way.”
John: “No, I’m going to say something about that. How does it work? Such a complainant is extensively heard by the examining magistrate. Then the defense, Marco Borsato and the public prosecutor can fully interrogate the alleged victim. That is the place to ask critical questions.”
Clarice: “And then in court!”
Humiliating
John sees it differently. “You can still explain it in court…”
Clarice: “Of course! You should!”
John: “But then you don’t have to make that plea in such a humiliating way.”
Clarice: “What do you mean humiliating? I didn’t find this humiliating. I think they did it professionally and it wasn’t played on that girl. It’s about her statement.”
John interrupts her again: “Didn’t you play that girl? It’s been about her and the mother for four hours.”
Annoying
Logical, says Clarice. “And that is very important to determine whether the sexual assault has taken place. You need that. It is certainly annoying, but that is why there is also an informative conversation with the police and professionals, who ensure that you are not sent away and that you can then decide: am I going to report it?”
“To say that the girl is humiliated at that hearing… Something bad happened to her – whether it was because of Marco or in her home situation: she is a vulnerable girl…” she says, as she sees that John wants to interrupt her again. “Yes, I know what your opinion is on that.”
John pissed: “This is exactly the reason that sex victims do not dare to go to the police!”