Overview
- The Gerechtshof Amsterdam, ruling Thursday, imposed a three‑year prison term for the 2014 rape of Ellen ten Damme in Morocco and the 2018 rape of a woman known as Naomi at a writers’ camp in Heiloo.
- Judges said testimony supported both rapes, citing witnesses who described Naomi’s distress and accounts from Ten Damme’s partner and manager, while other allegations lacked support and led to acquittals including the claim by singer Jill Helena.
- The court set a higher sentence than the prosecution’s 2.5‑year demand and the 2024 Haarlem verdict of two years, saying Ali B acted only to satisfy his own sexual needs and exploited his celebrity status.
- Defense lawyer Bart Swier will file a cassation appeal to the Hoge Raad, which reviews legal errors, and that step delays enforcement so Ali B remains free for now.
- Judges noted heavy media attention but refused to cut the sentence, and a national victim‑advocacy network praised those who reported the assaults and urged wider awareness of consent and power imbalances.