A 47-year-old man from Den Bosch is accused of stalking, threatening and insulting local politicians. The municipality and four local politicians have filed a report against him a total of five times. He is also subject to an area ban for the city hall and the administrative center, which will last until September next year.
The man was no stranger to local politics. For years he attended almost every municipal meeting, both in the hall and online, and was often sharply critical of the political debate. But that criticism has gone further in the past year and a half. For example, he is said to have personally ridiculed, humiliated and verbally abused council members, aldermen and civil servants.
One of the victims is faction leader of the local PvdA, Femke Hoekstra-Wittebol. The man regularly criticized her through his X account. He wrote, among other things: “How low is your IQ actually, Femmie? Because it is evident that it is lower than my IQ.”
Hoekstra-Wittebol said to it Brabants Dagblad about his messages: “I can take a beating and believe that as a politician you should be in contact with citizens.”
“You bet I’ll make you cry.”
The situation worsened when the man also started approaching her and other politicians privately via social media. He sent dozens of messages in which he called her a ‘cancer woman’ and threatened her with texts such as: “You bet I’ll make you cry.”
Hoekstra-Wittebol told the Brabants Dagblad: “Then something is touched that has to do with fear, even if you don’t want to feel it. No one can guarantee what someone will or will not do. So when I cycle home alone… What then?”
On the advice of the safety coordinator, who is involved in cases of transgressive behavior within the organization, the municipality and four politicians filed a report. Hoekstra-Wittebol was also among them. An alarm button was arranged for some people involved, with which they can immediately alert the police. Hoekstra-Wittebol does not use that button because she says she does not feel an ‘acute threat’.
“I made a lot of mistakes and I went too far.”
De Den Bosch admits in a written statement on Friday that he was wrong. “First of all, I would like to apologize to all the politicians I have insulted or intimidated. I have made many mistakes and I have gone too far. I should never have done this and I regret it.”
The man denies that he insulted officials. “I want to make it clear to everyone involved that they do not have to be afraid of me. I understand that my apology will not change much, but I will never do this again.”
“I don’t want to argue with this man.”
In the same letter he writes that years of substance addiction have led him to this behavior. “Since I stopped using substances, I have changed and am seeking help for my problems.”
Hoekstra-Wittebol does not want to respond to his letter to Omroep Brabant. “I have filed a report and feel no need to respond further substantively. I do not want to have a discussion with this man through the media.”
The police are still investigating the reports. It is up to the public prosecutor to determine the next steps.