Woman receives unwanted tongue kiss during Amsterdam municipality team-building event: ‘I became so sick’
An Amsterdam municipal employee suffered severe psychological trauma after being sexually assaulted by a colleague at a 2022 team-building event. Following a failed reintegration process and a lack of support from her employer, a court eventually ruled against the municipality's attempt to fire her without severance, ultimately dissolving the contract due to a destroyed working relationship.
During a 2022 team-building event, a female employee of the Amsterdam municipality was subjected to an unwanted sexual advance when a male colleague forcibly kissed her. The victim reported the incident to her superiors and the police, but the municipality took no action against the man due to a lack of evidence. Following the assault, the woman suffered from severe psychological trauma, leading to long-term illness and difficulties re-integrating into the workplace. When she finally returned in 2024, she unexpectedly encountered her alleged attacker in the office, causing her to flee in panic. The municipality subsequently stopped paying her salary and attempted to fire her without a severance package, citing a failure to cooperate with reintegration efforts. However, a judge rejected the dismissal, ruling that the municipality had bypassed mandatory legal procedures and failed to address the unsafe environment. Ultimately, the court dissolved the employment contract due to the irreparable breakdown of the professional relationship, while finding no fault on the part of the employee.
Based on reporting by parool. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.
