Maxime Meiland receives little support in the media now that she has been charged with libel and slander. “What is her interest, other than the sale of the book?” Clarice Stenger sneers.
After the bestsellers by Martien and Erica Meiland, daughter Maxime Meiland also wanted such a lucrative biography, despite the fact that she is only in her twenties. It was ultimately decided to base the book on the story that she was raped at the age of 15 and then fell victim to this sexual offense four more times.
Libel and slander
Maxime is said to have been abused by a peer at the age of 15, but her persistent accusations drive him crazy, because people in a smaller circle know exactly who it is. He has now decided to file a complaint for libel and slander and there is considerable understanding for that step.
Maxime’s complainant says that there are many witnesses who saw her sitting on him when they dived into the bushes together. According to him, there was no coercive situation at all; he said he was also very inexperienced at that age. And now he has called in Peter Schouten, the best friend of the late Peter R. de Vries.
‘Why, Maxime?’
The show categories are not exactly Maxime’s style. “One wonders what her interest was in bringing out this story in this book. A judge will also take that into account,” says criminal lawyer Clarice Stenger at the desk RTL Boulevard.
Clarice then hints that the sales figures of the book, and therefore money, were partly a motive for Maxime to make her accusation public: “He is not a public person, so what is her interest, other than the sale of the book , to describe this abuse, this rape, so extensively in the book?”
Anonymously
Maxime has not mentioned the name of her alleged rapist. Does it matter? “Well, not really, because if it is clear who it concerns, then there is damage to that name and then you have to have a good reason for it,” says Clarice.
She continues: “If you want to expose an abuse that affects the entire society, such as with The Voice or those MeToo cases, then you can imagine something, but this private individual who is not known at all… That is It was still very private.”
Disgusting
Peter Schouten, the alleged victim’s lawyer, says: Show news that Maxime has gone too far. “There will be summary proceedings, unless they take advantage of my very last offer to reach an amicable solution to this case by having a restorative conversation between Maxime and my client.”
He continues: “It is scandalous and disgusting to be falsely accused of rape. That is something that will destroy your whole life. If, after thirteen years, you make such an accusation in a book that contains nothing else that makes it worthy of sale, then I find that malicious.”
Who bounces the ball
Expert René Mioch thinks that Maxime owes this to himself. “It is unbelievable. I think this is the disadvantage of just discussing everything in the media all the time, everywhere, that the ball will bounce back at some point. And as a film and series lover, I am going to give one tip: Anatomy of a Scandal is on Netflix.”
That’s about being accused of rape, says René. “There are two victims in this case and it is not clear exactly what happened.”