Days after Dutch football journalist and TV figure Johan Derksen detailed on his talk show how he once used a candle to penetrate an unconscious woman in his twenties, he quit the show.
In his talk show “Vandaag Inside” on Tuesday evening, the 72-year-old confessed how he penetrated an unconscious woman with a candle back fifty years ago, while the guests humorously enjoyed the story.
Following a huge backlash, the journalist attempted to clear up his story on Wednesday’s episode, but on Thursday evening he announced he would be stopping the talk show. Still, an apology seems out of the question.
The story
The remarkable confession was made during a discussion about another Dutch presenter, Johnny de Mol, who will stop presenting the Dutch talk show “HLF8” after an accusation of sexual abuse.
Perhaps in an attempt to put the incident in perspective, Derksen related how he sexually abused an unconscious woman when he was 22 years old.
As the then-famous footballer spent a night out with a keeper and two ladies, he said they went to their house, where the girls were so drunk they puked “all over them”.
“One lady was lying unconscious on the couch and there was such a big candle. We put it in there and then we left.”
“We all have childhood sins,” he said. “I think everyone has had those kinds of adventures that you later realise are not so funny.”
The guests on the talkshow also did not challenge the comments, and asked peculiar comments, such as whether he lit the candle and that she was “lucky it wasn’t a baseball bat”.
He seemed aware of the fact that someone who is unconscious is legally incompetent, meaning his action could be classified today as rape or abuse. “Nowadays you would get a prison sentence for it, but that was a different time,” he said.
Riding back on his comments
A day later, Derksen realised to some extent that the story was problematic, as it made national headlines and was met with heavy backlash and criticism. He admitted to a “slip-up”, saying it was stupid.
Rather than apologising, Derksen denied that he abused the woman at the time. “I came up with that shitty story and I have explained it unclearly and in the wrong tone.”
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He said he never penetrated the woman, but had in fact put the candle between her legs. In his own words, he used the story to demonstrate the different mindsets towards these issues at that time.
On Thursday night, he said he had come to his own conclusion to stop presenting his talk show, without taking responsibility for his actions. “I am done. There is no more room for Johan Derksen in the Netherlands.”
Blaming “cancel culture”, Derksen refused to apologise for his actions of five decades ago. “I slip up once and am immediately liquidated,” he said.
Investigation
The Public Prosecution Service has announced that it will investigate the statements, aiming to establish the truth of possible criminal behaviour. “In addition, we call on those involved, as far as it is still possible, to tell their story,” the service said on Thursday.
Talpa Network, the production company behind the talk show, has “firmly distanced” itself from Derksen’s story and his reactions. “It is completely inappropriate to approach this topic, which is so extremely sensitive, in a laughing atmosphere,” the network said.
“For victims of sexual abuse, this must have been a slap in the face. A step back in time, where more attention was finally paid to this issue in recent times.”
