The PR nightmare is complete for Linda de Mol now that her lover Jeroen Rietbergen is being prosecuted for rape. Can she be spotted soon at the visitors’ desk of the prison?
Shortly after Linda de Mol was caught in romantic Paris on her apparent return to the arms of Jeroen Rietbergen, the two received a huge slap in the face. The Public Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute him. And not for assault, but for rape. A very serious offense.
Heavy blow
Jeroen says he is completely in shock. He speaks of a ‘heavy blow’ and calls it ‘incomprehensible’. “I immediately admitted to being guilty of sexual misconduct, expressed my sincere regret, took all the consequences and worked hard on myself over the past year.”
He continues: “But I have always said that I have not committed any criminal offences. There was never any question of coercion, assault or rape.”
Sexual contact
Sébas Diekstra, the lawyer of Jeroen’s alleged victim Nienke Wijnhoven, thinks it is a striking reaction. “Which was unknown to us, because I see that very subtly in that statement: ‘There was no question of coercion.’ And that implies to me: so there has been sexual contact,” he says Inside today.
He continues: “You usually say that if there is sufficient evidence that there has been sexual contact. But the next step, whether there was coercion – because that is important – not. The Public Prosecution Service now has, because there is not only Nienke’s statement and Jeroen’s statement… There are several statements, there is more evidence.”
Hopeful
It seems Sebas is quite hopeful. “Of course the Public Prosecution Service will not prosecute if they only have those two statements. They have more, of course, otherwise they would have said, as with the director: ‘We will dismiss the case’, because those were only one-on-one statements.”
Nienke is not the only alleged victim in this case, says Sébas. “There are not only the nineteen stories of BOOS, but I have spoken to a lot of women in the meantime who have a story about him and some have completely agreed. They also recognize that.”
Prison sentence
Should Jeroen take into account a prison sentence? And will Linda then report to the visitors’ desk of the prison more often than she opens suitcases on television? Sébas: “In cases like this you see three to six months in prison as a basic requirement, if it is declared proven.”
What a drama, Evert Santegoeds sighs Show news. “Certainly now that this is going to take another year, it will also be a very difficult time for her. According to her manager Xenia, she does not want to respond. John de Mol also does not want to respond.”
And Aran Bade in RTL Boulevard (which has been taken offline by RTL for unclear reasons): “It must also be a blow from her. She is of course Jeroen’s partner or ex-partner. Of course she struggles with that herself. That must be a huge blow to her.”