Gijs van Dijk. – © Peter Hilz
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Dutch MP Gijs van Dijk has been discredited for “inappropriate behavior” toward women. A complaint was already filed against him in 2019, and now there are new accusations. The member of the socialist PvdA apologizes, and resigns.
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wleSource: nos
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According to the NOS, the accusation is that Gijs van Dijk “hugged and kissed” several women against their will. One person even says to have suffered bruises as a result.
In a statement Van Dijk states ‘in the relational sphere he has not always been honest’. If this has hurt people, I would like to offer my sincere apologies. He says he wants to ‘give the investigation room’ and ‘not get in the way of the party’. ‘That is why I am retiring from my political position.’ Van Dijk had been in the Lower House since 2017.
‘Not appropriate’
His party PvdA speaks of reports that have come in over the past few days. One party colleague complains of ‘a very intimate hug during which he pressed and held me unusually tightly against him. I was stricken. It felt uncomfortable, not appropriate.’
The women now accusing Van Dijk also explicitly refer to a complaint filed by party colleague Cornelia Klaster back in 2019. She accused Van Dijk of having been handsome, although she had made it clear to him that she did not want to.
The woman went to the police. They advised her to complain to the party leadership. But according to her, the complaint was not taken seriously there. The complaint was declared inadmissible. When she complained about this on Facebook, the party called in a lawyer and Klaster was removed as a member.
The women who reported now are asking for that complaint to be reviewed as well.
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