Marco Borsato: 5 Months Prison Demanded for Indecent Exposure

The Public Prosecution Service is demanding an unconditional prison sentence of five months against singer Marco Borsato. He is suspected of fornication with an underage girl. In 2014 and 2015, he allegedly groped the then 15-year-old daughter of an employee on her thighs, breasts and vagina, both above and under her clothing.

The Public Prosecution Service considers it proven that the groping took place and that the singer abused the intimate bond with the girl. The prosecutor paints the picture of “a man whose image became clouded when the victim developed into a young woman. However, the woman was still a child.”

The Public Prosecution Service says it takes into account that the singer does not yet have a criminal record. The extensive media attention has also had major consequences for Borsato, but according to the Public Prosecution Service this is ultimately due to his own criminal behavior.

The reasonable period of more than a year and a half has been exceeded if the case is closed in December, the Public Prosecution Service states. The decision to prosecute could have been made earlier,the Public Prosecution Service acknowledges. It says it will also take this into account in the sentence.

The woman’s story fits in the context of how Borsato himself describes the situation,the Public Prosecution Service concludes. That is why the Public Prosecution Service assumes an authentic statement. Also because the woman mentions the positive aspects of her relationship with Borsato. “I still love that man,” the public Prosecution Service quotes her. She would not have wanted him to draw attention because of her report.

In a conversation that the mother had with Borsato after she discovered her daughter’s diary fragments, the singer does not deny the accusations, the Public Prosecution Service says. Borsato places the responsibility for correcting his behavior on the woman, the Public Prosecution Service says. However, that was his fault as an adult, says the prosecutor: “Fornication is never a child’s fault. Never.”

The woman also accuses Borsato of letting her feel his genitals. At that time the girl would have been 17 years old. That part of the complaint has not been included in the claim as it falls outside the period being dealt with.

The singer strongly denies that the fornication took place. “This did not happen. This is the biggest possible accusation you can make against me,” an emotional Borsato told the judge today. He speaks of an act of revenge by the woman and her mother. He has filed a complaint against both. He does say that he is a “touchy” person. “Yes, I rubbed her legs, like I do with my own children. There is no sexual connotation behind that at all.”

The victim said through her lawyer that she does not care what the punishment is. “I don’t want money. I don’t want you to go to jail.” According to the woman, the consequences are already serious for the singer. She says she only wants recognition for what he did to her.

Borsato himself said that he can no longer sing since the accusations and that his career is over. He added that he found it most annoying for his children.

Several days have been set aside for the trial. The hearing will continue on Thursday. The ruling is expected in early december.

Before today’s hearing, the judge announced that there was still a “hick-up” in this case. At the last minute, 500 hours of tapped telephone conversations were added to the file, not all of which have yet been processed. The defense had not yet been able to listen to them all and has asked for the trial to be reopened if there is no acquittal.