Never before have so many politicians reported to the police due to threats. Last year, the Hague Police’s Threatened Politicians Team (TBP) received 1,125 complaints of threats and harassment against MPs and ministers. Almost double the previous year.
The increase is mainly due to the increase in the number of reports from Geert Wilders. At least half of the 1125 reports came from the leader of the PVV. Many of the threats he received came from outside the European Union. The total number of threatened politicians is comparable to previous years. The Public Prosecutor does not make statements about individual politicians for privacy reasons.
Stubborn problem
If a threat is reported by a politician, the matter will be investigated by the prosecutor. In 2022, the Public Prosecutor’s Office concluded in 889 cases that the report concerned a criminal threat. The year before that number was much lower: 373. According to the prosecutor, threats against politicians remain “a persistent problem” and social unrest is a major cause of the increase.
According to Tom Scheepstra, a policy officer at the Ministry of Justice and Security, globalization plays a role. ‘You see that messages are getting around the world more and more easily. Since 2015, the number of reports and threats has increased fivefold. It’s growing tremendously,’ he says in BNR Breaks.
Prevent anonymity
Most threats are made through social media. In that case it is often difficult to find out who is behind the account. “We have to ask ourselves whether you should still be able to threaten people anonymously,” says Werner Schouten, director of the Impact Economy Foundation, in the same program. He thinks that a way of identification when creating an account can help with this. “So that you can no longer make life miserable for people without consequences.”
Many of the threats came from countries outside the EU. Nearly 600 of the 889 came from countries such as Pakistan, with which the Netherlands does not have a mutual legal assistance treaty. “Without a legal aid treaty, the chance that local authorities will cooperate within an acceptable time frame is very slim,” the prosecutor said. If it is indeed not possible to obtain legal assistance in identifying and questioning the suspects, the investigation will be closed. In 712 cases, the investigation did not produce a suspect who could be arrested.
Last year, 37 suspects were brought before the criminal court. He imposed prison sentences of up to five months and community service of up to 120 hours. Seven cases were dealt with in a prosecutorial hearing and four cases were transferred to countries with which the Netherlands has a legal aid treaty. Bureau Halt handled a threat from a minor and one case was dropped due to lack of evidence. Investigations are still ongoing in 127 cases.
The Police TBP focuses on criminal threats against national politicians within the “Rijks domain”, such as ministers, members of the Senate and House of Representatives, and state secretaries.
‘Finally on the map’
The fact that the number of complaints of threatened politicians last year is almost double the previous year is partly due to the fact that they never let it go. This was stated by conflict expert Caroline Koetsenruijter, busy denouncing the threats. “Whereas political office holders used to think that everything you pay attention to grows, now you see the norm is: reporting helps,” she tells the ANP.
He assumes that this increase is mainly due to people reporting more often. “The topic is finally on the map,” Koetsenruijter points out. “It’s been said for a long time that it’s part of the job and you should be able to take the beating.” But the threats have a great influence on the politicians concerned. “It affects your privacy, but also your integrity. As a director you no longer have the courage to say everything or you could advise otherwise».
The reports provide a lot of information, says Koetsenruijter. “So the police can also better assess whether someone needs to be protected.” The sooner you respond, the sooner a threat escalation can be prevented. Incidentally, Koetsenruijter believes that it is not only the prosecutor and the police who are responsible for the fight against the miners. Tech companies also play a role here. “Allow people in only if you are a verified user of an account and provide opening faster.”
Source: BNR
Fernando Dowling is an author and political journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of the political landscape and a passion for analyzing the latest political trends and news.
