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11 Sep 2024 5:00
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  •   Home > News > International

    Swedish prosecutor's case against Eurovision singer Joost Klein dropped due to lack of evidence

    The closure of the investigation against Joost Klein has been welcomed by Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, but the European Broadcasting Union stands by its decision to disqualify him.


    Swedish prosecutors have dropped their investigation into an altercation that led to Dutch Eurovision contestant Joost Klein's disqualification at this year's competition.

    The incident led to the 26-year-old being dropped from the finals hours before he was set to perform. 

    Now, in a new statement, the prosecutor's office said it had dropped its case due to lack of evidence. 

    Here's why. 

    Why did Joost Klein get disqualified?

    The fan favourite artist was dropped from the final in Malmö Sweden due to a complaint made by a female staff member of the production crew, police said at the time. 

    It was believed an altercation with a female photographer took place following his performance on the Thursday night before the final. 

    Mr Klein was then banned from rehearsals the following day over an unspecified "incident". 

    The next day, police confirmed they had begun an investigation.

    Then, hours before he was set to perform, Mr Klein was officially disqualified. 

    The singer and rapper had been the favourite to win with his song Europapa which was a tribute to his parents who died when he was a child. 

    The last-minute disqualification was unprecedented in the 68-year history of Eurovision. 

    At the time Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, who partially funds the contest, said in an emailed statement that it was "shocked" by the European Broadcast Union's (EBU) decision and considered it "disproportionate".

    Why was the investigation dropped?

    In a statement on Monday, local time, the prosecutor's office said it made the decision to drop the case against the 26-year-old due to lack of evidence. 

    It said the investigation had come to the conclusion that "the man made a movement that hit the woman's film camera".

    "Today I have closed the investigation because I cannot prove that the act was capable of causing serious fear or that the man had any such intention," says senior prosecutor Fredrik Jönsson.

    He said the course of events was fast and perceived differently by the witnesses present. 

    How has Joost Klein responded?

    Mr Klein responded to the news in a post to Instagram. 

    Mr Klein said there was "no case against me because there never was a case".

    "The last couple of months were terrible," it read. 

    "Even though I love to perform around the world, something didn't feel right. Every day I felt insecure, while I knew the truth.

    "Even though I lost all hope we are back now baby."

    What have broadcasters said about the incident?

    AVROTROS has welcomed the closure of the investigation. 

    "From the beginning, we have said that this disqualification was unnecessary and disproportionate and so it now appears to be," it said in a statement. 

    "We are still deeply disappointed that the Europa adventure of Joost Klein and of the entire Netherlands was brutally ended in this way."

    The EBU said it still stands by its decision made back in May.

    "The decision to disqualify Mr Klein from this year's event was made in strict accordance with Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) rules and governance procedures, after an internal investigation," Jean Philip De Tender, EBU deputy director general and director of media said. 

    "In parallel, Swedish police decided to open a formal investigation into the conduct of Mr Klein during the Second Semi Final, which we understand was closed today without further action.

    "This was an investigation into whether a criminal act was committed and not whether Mr Klein behaved inappropriately and breached ESC rules and procedures. This new development therefore does not have any impact on our decision which we stand by completely."

    What happens now?

    AVROTROS said it will now seek a meeting with the EBU management.

    It said the meeting will focus on "unjust disqualification".

    "We will also discuss all our other objections about the course of events behind the scenes that we previously sent to the EBU ... which to date remain unanswered.

    "AVROTROS' approach is and remains that the Song Contest is about artists and their musical message, the ball is now in the EBU's court."


    ABC




    © 2024 ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved

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