The Amsterdam Court of Appeal sentenced the Dutch rapper and TV presenter Ali B to three years’ imprisonment on appeal for two counts of rape on Thursday.
The sentence is therefore harsher than the 2.5 years’ imprisonment sought by the prosecution.
Ali B was, however, acquitted of the sexual assault of two other women. According to the court, there was insufficient evidence for this.
Ali B, who served as a coach on "The Voice of Holland," had been accused of sexual assault and two rapes.
"The defendant seriously violated the sexual boundaries of both women," said the presiding judge, according to the Dutch public broadcaster NOS. "Another factor taken into account in the sentence is that the defendant has consistently denied the allegations."
There was considerable media attention surrounding the case against Ali B. However, the court did not see this media attention as grounds for a reduced sentence, partly because Ali B himself sought publicity during the court proceedings.
Ali B was not present at the sentencing. He can still appeal his conviction to the Supreme Court.
When the case was heard in 2024 at the court in Haarlem, the Public Prosecution Service sought a three-year prison sentence.
The rapper was ultimately sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. At the time, the court found only the rape of one woman and the attempted rape of a singer and actress to have been proven.
