UpdateA man from Breda was arrested last month after he entered the BNNVara building in Hilversum with a firearm and a knife. He stated there that he wanted to kill presenter Tim Hofman, the broadcaster announced. BNNVara staff was informed on Monday. VPRO and Human, which are located in the same building, have also been informed.
It incident happened on September 6 in the evening. The man reported to security, after which the police were called. According to BNNVara, no explosives were found, something that the weekly magazine Panorama suggested last week. The suspect had already been to the building earlier that day to arrange a meeting with Hofman through the reception. Because that was not successful, he returned in the evening, the broadcaster said.
It is not yet clear what his motive was. The suspect is not said to be an ex-employee or otherwise associated with BNNVara or any other broadcaster. He also did not appear in Tim Hofman’s program Boos, reports BNNVara.
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has announced that the man is suspected of preparatory acts for murder, possession of a firearm and threats. “He is now in custody for that. The investigation is still ongoing, so it is a preliminary suspicion,” says the spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service Central Netherlands. The first preliminary hearing in court is expected to take place in mid-December.
Big impact
Hofman, who according to a spokesperson for BNNVara is simply at work, responds to the incident on Instagram and writes that he is being well taken care of by BNNVara, the Boos editorial staff and his personal environment. ‘I have to say that I have to swallow hard when I read it in the newspaper, but I am also glad that a bullet did not go through my forehead. I am still alive.’
It is also a mystery to Hofman ‘who exactly the suspect is’ and what his motive was. “That may come later,” says Hofman, who says that the start of the tenth season of Boos is “simply planned” for Thursday, October 19.
It is disgusting that we have had to deal with such a serious incident
BNNVara director Lonneke van der Zee
BNNVara director Lonneke van der Zee says that the incident has made a great impression on the broadcaster. In a statement, she states that the first concern has gone out ‘to Tim, the security guard and reception employee in question and the Boos editorial team’. ‘Obviously the news about these events had a major impact. They have received the help they need to cope with this. It is disgusting that we have had to deal with such a serious incident.”
The NPO says it is extremely shocked and wishes everyone ‘who has been affected by this a lot of strength’. ‘No one should be a victim of threats and violence. Journalists and program makers must always be able to do their work in complete freedom.’ The NPO does not make any statements about any measures taken as a result of the incident.
Hofman has had to deal with threats before. The presenter said last year in the College Tour program that he would ‘no longer perform without security’. There is also a special button on his bag that he can press in an emergency. “If they hear a stressful situation or a code word, helicopters will come hovering above the roof, so to speak. If at some point someone stands at your front door and looks you straight in the eye and says: ‘Aren’t you afraid that you will end up like Peter R. de Vries?’… Then I think you have to switch gears,” Hofman said at the time.
D66 submits proposal for press safety
Joost Sneller, D66 MP, announced on Monday that the political party will submit a proposal in which 1.2 million euros will be released for press security. He wants to discuss this during the budget discussion of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, which will only take place after the elections on November 22.
Sneller regrets that journalists are regularly victims of threats or even attacked. “Eight in ten journalists say they sometimes encounter aggression or violence. These are shocking figures,” said Sneller, who wants to make the 1.2 million euros available to organizations that help with the physical security of journalists. “But it is also intended for organizations that help to work better with the police and the judiciary to stop this violence. I assume other political parties will support this proposal, because journalists must be able to do their work safely.”
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2023-10-09 13:14:48
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