About Gijs

(and thus also about Jelle)

Long ago I worked in television. That rhymes. But it is not my intention to be funny. One of my achievements there was that I got to come up with programs for Blue Circle, the company from which Boulevard originated, that made Idols, Boer Zoekt Vrouw, and so on. One day our team was joined by a confident young man: Gijs van Dam. Gijs was the type who had his affairs in order, a bit of a guy. A nice house, a neat little car, he cooked for himself and went to the gym regularly. He had a nice and stable life and took his work very seriously. In any case, the image I had of him is far removed from the brutal, drug-administering rapist he is now being called. That of course says nothing, because Bill Cosby was also the grandfather you wished for. But still, I want to have said it.

Our paths diverged, we were not friends so we no longer saw each other. And now, 13 years later, I am talking about Gijs. I keep thinking about him. He is on the front page of the newspaper. Appears on Pauw. In a week, his life has gone from behind-the-scenes TV maker to a public hell.

Now team Jelle Brandt Corstius says his life has been destroyed in one night and has been hell for fifteen years. I am not taking sides. I was not there. I am staying out of this. Jelle is hurt and sad. Gijs has been executed without trial, as he himself said on Pauw.

My point is this. I agree with Jelle that victims should come forward. He wanted to be an example. That is brave, because I understand that you would rather keep such an experience (if it happened as Jelle describes) to yourself or otherwise follow the proper legal path. Accusations belong in the courtroom, after a report has been made. Not in the newspaper or on a TV program. Let's not fall into the trap of the #metoo hype now that everyone is declared a free target and can be labeled a perpetrator unless proven otherwise. Does our country not have the reverse tradition that you are innocent until proven guilty? That right is given to the biggest criminal, then it seems to me that Gijs van Dam at least deserves that. And Jelle even more.