The new Member of Parliament Sidney Smeets is stepping down after allegations of transgressive behavior, D66 said on Thursday. An internal investigation was already underway into the reports the party had received about possible undesirable behavior by Smeets towards young men.
This week several young men raised the alarm about messages from Smeets on social media. For some men, the contact is said to have taken place when they were underage.
“Reports have come out in recent days. Several people state that they have experienced contact with me as undesirable,” Smeets said in a response on Thursday.
“After yesterday’s rollercoaster, the main thing for me today is that I want to avoid damaging the prestige of the House and the interests of the party,” continues Smeets, who makes his seat available.
Party leader Sigrid Kaag says he “fully” respects and supports Smeets’ decision. The stories of the young men on social media show, according to Kaag, that “there is still a world to be won when it comes to the personal freedom and safety of people”. She wants to work on that in the coming period.
Smeets enters a period of reflection and asks people to respect this decision.
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