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The Malmo police have closed the book on assault allegations against 2024 Dutch Eurovision entrant Joost Klein’s. A statement by the Malmo police said:
“The investigation where an 26-year-old man has been suspected of having subjected a woman to illegal threats has been closed. The incident occurred on May 9 in connection with the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. The prosecutor is available to the media this afternoon.
The investigation has come to the conclusion that the man made a movement that hit the woman’s film camera. The course of events was fast and was perceived differently by the witnesses of the incident.”
So… he was disqualified without good reason?
Well no, not exactly. The police statement shuts down untrue reports that Klein broke Swedish law and threatened a (female) photographer working at the contest venue in May 2024.
Klein denied any wrongdoing through his lawyer at the time. Today’s statement confirms that the Dutch performer did ‘make a movement that hit‘ the woman’s camera, however the case has been dropped, after the Swedish police concluded that they could not prove any criminal conduct.
EBU investigation
It doesn’t change the fact Klein lashed out, regardless of whether he felt to be provoked. This shouldn’t happen at a well-run event, and, (as organisers) the EBU rightly launched their own investigation.
With the incident happening so close to a live show, the organisers took the unusual (and difficult) decision to disqualify the Dutch song, pending the outcome of their internal investigation. The rule book states this would be the case if anything does (or might be later found to) bring the contest into disrepute.
Happy and relieved
Following the announcement today by Swedish senior prosecutor Fredrik Jönsson, Klein’s manager told Dutch press agency ANP: ‘We, as a team, are incredibly happy and relieved that this period of uncertainty has now come to an end. Finally, we can say it out loud: there was never a reason for this case.’
Despite the case being dropped, the EBU, has stood by its decision to disqualify the Dutch contestant. ‘This was an investigation into whether a criminal act was committed and not whether Mr Klein behaved inappropriately and breached ESC rules and procedures’, the broadcasting union said in a statement. ‘This new development therefore does not have any impact on our decision which we stand by completely.’
Dutch drop-out?
Avrotros told ANP that it was still ‘deeply disappointed’ about Klein’s disqualification and planned to have a meeting with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the contest’s organiser, to discuss the matter.
Their participation in the 2025 edition of the annual contest remains uncertain.
First of all, Joost did not break a camera. The police report doesn’t say anything about it (he only “may have” hit it). Secondly, if he didn’t break the law, why could he break EBU rules? Perhaps they should check those rules to see if they’re in line with national laws.
So your actual solution is to ensure that the rules cover literally any eventuality in any country it goes to? – that’s your take away here?
Not only is that impractacle, it would take a dedicated team far far too long!
The EBU had no other options, they had a binary choice – either they let someone accused of assault sing in their contest, or they disqualify him and deal with the “fallout” later from a broadcaster and, if I may say, a nation that has done nothing to further its cause but saying, effectively ” It’s only Eurovision – it doesn’t matter”.
It does.