The most terrible day in Marco Borsato’s career has arrived: today the whole of the Netherlands will hear exactly what he did with an underage girl, according to the Public Prosecution Service. “There’s more to come.”
Marco Borsato’s career is at an end and will never be as great as it was. If he is acquitted, there will always be a smell around him and if he is convicted of fornication with an underage girl, he will disappear into the same drawer as Ali B: we will never see him again. And rightly so, of course.
Painful and intense
Crime journalist John van den Heuvel has believed in Marco’s guilt since the beginning. He has made it clear that he believes the alleged victim’s story. He has sometimes come under criticism for the bias in this case, which is why he says he is relieved that the entire country will now see the evidence.
John says in the New Revu: “It is very important that this case now becomes public, no matter how painful and intense the details are. Borsato is accused of committing fornication with an underage girl over a long period of time. The victim wrote down her story in a diary, which was later found by her mother.”
Without knowledge
Finding that diary was the start of the investigation, John explains. “In recent years, without knowledge of the facts, many people have immediately supported the suspect and even turned against the alleged victim. I think this trial will make it clear what exactly happened.”
John points out that experts have determined the diary to be authentic. “That is downplayed by his supporters and lawyers, but the Public Prosecution Service did not rush into this case.”
Advice from John
What is John’s role in this whole matter? “My role is much smaller than people think. I do not assist the victim, but I did advise her and her mother at a very early stage, because they were struggling with the question of whether they should report it. They knew: this is going to cause enormous publicity.”
He continues: “That’s a lot of pressure for someone who is not a public figure at all at the time. I said: if you do this, do it right, with evidence, and be prepared for the storm. There is also a lot of talk about a possible tape in which the singer would have admitted what happened.”
On the agenda
What does John know about that tape? “I also asked about that recording in my conversations. What exactly it is and how it is legally introduced will be discussed when the case comes up. What seems especially important to me is that everyone will now finally see the same factual material.”
He concludes: “Until now, there has been a kind of parallel debate in public opinion, fueled by assumptions. This week the real file will be published. Then for the first time, judgments can be made on the basis of what has actually been investigated and established. I think that if that case is going to serve, more will emerge.”
Marco must appear at the court in Utrecht at 9:30 am.