Jos B., who has been convicted of the fatal kidnapping and sexual abuse of Nicky Verstappen, has brought preliminary relief proceedings against RTL. That broadcaster wants to broadcast a documentary about the police investigation into the case on Sunday and Monday. The preliminary relief proceedings will be brought to the court in Amsterdam tomorrow afternoon.
The Nicky Verstappen case is a production by presenter Ewout Genemans and RTL. Genemans was allowed to watch for three years with the investigation team that had been put on the case. He knew almost immediately that a DNA match had been found with B., who last week was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison. After the court decision, Genemans and RTL were given permission to broadcast the documentary.
‘B. presented as perpetrator ‘
B.’s counsel, Adi van Koningsveld, says that her client is still awaiting an appeal, but is nevertheless presented as the culprit in the documentary. Blaming him as a perpetrator would violate the presumption of innocence, the premise that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
“The interest in broadcasting the documentary in no way outweighs the interest of the plaintiff”, the lawyer told RTL Nieuws.
Counselor Van Koningsveld demands that RTL. if the judge agrees to a ban, pays a penalty of 250,000 euros per violation, with a maximum of 1,000,000 euros.
RTL says that the documentary has been carefully made and assumes that the broadcast will continue tomorrow and Monday.
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