The prosecutor has closed the investigation into Joost Klein.
It was likely the biggest scandal at the drama-plagued Eurovision Song Contest this year: Dutch singer Joost Klein was reportedly threatening a camera operator, leading to his disqualification from the competition. Now, however, the investigation against "Europapa" singer has been dropped.
Dutch singer Joost Klein made more than one negative impression at this year's Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Sweden's Malmo. However, his behavior cannot be definitively proven to be criminal. At least, the investigation against him, which was initiated due to an incident after his semi-final performance in May, has now been dropped. This was announced by the Swedish Prosecution Authority.
The 26-year-old musician was accused of making a threatening gesture towards a camerawoman's camera after his ESC performance. The Swedish police then initiated an investigation against him. Klein, who had secured a place in the final with his song "Europapa", was also disqualified from the ESC.
The responsible prosecutor, Fredrik Jönsson, explained that he had dropped the investigation against the Dutchman because he could not prove "that the act could have caused serious fear or that the man had such an intention". What exactly Klein signaled to the camerawoman is not publicly known.
Klein is "happy and relieved"
Klein is now "immensely happy and relieved that this uncertain period is over", said the musician's manager to the Dutch news agency ANP. "The last few months have been terrible." Now the whole team is relieved. "Finally we can say loudly: There was never a reason for this procedure." The singer is looking to the future and working on a new album.
However, for the TV broadcaster AVROTROS, which is responsible for the ESC in the Netherlands, the affair is not yet over. The broadcaster is pushing for a conversation with the management of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the ESC. "We are still deeply disappointed that the European adventure of Joost Klein and the entire Netherlands was ended in this brutal way", the broadcaster said in a statement. AVROTROS had already stated at the beginning that the disqualification was unnecessary and inappropriate, and this has now been proven. The broadcaster had already submitted its complaints in writing to the EBU months ago, but never received a response.
Due to the affair, the broadcaster has not yet decided whether the Netherlands will participate in the next ESC. Klein, however, recently hinted that he is considering a return to the competition next year.
Despite being cleared by the Swedish Prosecution Authority, Dutch singer Joost Klein's participation in the following Eurovision Song Contest remains uncertain due to the backlash from his disqualification this year. His manager stated, "We are hopeful that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will understand the situation and allow Joost to compete again."
Despite the dropped investigation and potential for a return to the Eurovision Song Contest, Klein's behavior during the contest has left a lingering impact on his reputation in the music industry.
