As the KABK has stated previously, we place a high value on social safety, mutual respect, and adherence to our code of conduct. We have recently reviewed the code of conduct and it is carefully enforced.
We regret to inform you that this code has been violated by one of our teachers and team leader of Fine Arts. We received this unfortunate news on 30 August and because of our 0-tolerance policy the person is per 1 September no longer working for the KABK. An investigation conducted by the Public Prosecutors Office is taking place as a result of a report at the police made by a woman outside the KABK. This report concerns the taking of indecent photographs of women without permission. The majority of these photos are made outside of the KABK. Further investigation revealed that it also concerned women inside the academy.
Please also see the FAQ below for more information.
The investigation is ongoing and at this time we cannot say how small or how large this case is. During the investigation the KABK will not be informed about the case. However we are informed by the suspect that according to his knowledge no minors had been photographed. According to this person, faces are also not recognisable.
We can imagine that this shocking news might trigger quite a lot. So it did to us. In case it does and you are a student, please contact our student counsellor or external confidential counsellor. There is more support for students and staff. You will find the contact information of these persons on our portal.
Ofcourse, I am also available so if you have any questions about this situation, please send me an e-mail, drop by or make an appointment. We are here to care and to help each other.
The KABK must be a safe place for every student, teacher, and employee. We are extremely dedicated to make that work. There is still a lot of work to do. In every case of inappropriate behaviour, when boundaries are crossed, there will be a 0-tolerance approach.
We are committed to the personal integrity and safety of everyone: students, teachers and employees. Whenever transgressive behaviour occurs, we tackle it. Regardless of who it is.
Ranti Tjan, Director
Fenna Hup, Deputy Director
FAQ
A woman from outside of the academy filed a report at the Police that a person had taken photos without asking permission. The Police contacted the perpetrator and searched his house. They found hundreds compromising photos. There were also photos taken in a school. Most of the pictures have been taken outside the academy. The Police came to us for identification of the school setting on 30 August. This is a violation of our Code of Conduct on Social Safety. The academy immediately took action, and the suspect does not work at the academy anymore from 1 September onwards.
The case is still under investigation, so there is no answer to this question yet. The suspect took photos of women. There are no minors in the photos. There are no faces to be seen in the photos.
We are very sorry to hear this. We advise you to file a report. We also advise to contact our student counsellor or external confidential counsellor.
Yes, of course KABK alumni will be informed. We will contact alumni that studied at the KABK and graduated in the last four years personally. We will also contact KABK alumni who were involved in previous occasions in which social safety has been violated.
The photos have been taken during the last four years.
Everybody that starts working at the KABK has to request a Certificate of Conduct (in Dutch: Verklaring omtrent het Gedrag, VOG) from the Dutch Ministry of Legal Protection.
A VOG is a statement showing that the judicial record of a person or legal entity does not constitute an objection to the function or purpose for which the VOG is requested. Of course applicants will be questioned during their application as well.
We are committed to the personal integrity and safety of everyone: students, teachers and employees. Whenever transgressive behaviour occurs, we tackle it. Regardless of who it is.
Since the publication of the Bezemer and Schubad report two years ago many measures to improve our social safety have been taken such as the revision of our Code of Conduct on Social Safety; we have external confidential counsellors we did not have before and the didactical skills of our teachers are improved. We are still working on it and we are learning and improving. We want to build a stronger community with better ways to talk about it.
The KABK must be a safe place for every student, teacher, and employee. We are extremely dedicated to make that work. There is still a lot of work to do. In every case of inappropriate behaviour, when boundaries are crossed, there will be a 0-tolerance approach.
The KABK knows about this since 30 August when the letter of the Public Prosecutors Office came and took steps immediately. Per 1 September the person is no longer working for the KABK. The police investigation is still running and has not been taken to court yet. The court case can be soon or in about four years. That's something we don't know. We don't know what kind of next steps the Public Prosecutors Office will take or if we will hear more about the investigation. The verdict will be published. We will keep you updated.
You can contact our student counsellor or external confidential counsellor. There is more support for students and staff. You can get in touch with our external Confidential Counsellor, Francis van Hekelen: f.vanhekelen@kabk.nl, +31 6 21 15 83 39. You can decide with her what kind of support you need.
The Police has informed us that the photos cannot be found online.
You can contact Sabine van Staden, klachtenloket@kabk.nl.
The teacher is forbidden to contact anyone from the academy. You may contact him but it's not allowed to talk about the investigation.