Sweden ends criminal probe of Dutch singer who was removed from Eurovision

COPENHAGEN/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -Swedish prosecutors said on Monday they have closed an investigation into Dutch singer Joost Klein, who was evicted in May from this year’s Eurovision Song Contest following a complaint against him by a female member of the production crew.

Klein, 26, performed the quirky song “Europapa” and was initially considered among the favourites to win the annual contest, which this year was held in the Swedish city of Malmo.

“The investigation has come to the conclusion that the man made a movement that hit the woman’s film camera. The course of events was fast and was perceived differently by the witnesses of the incident,” Sweden’s Prosecution Authority said in a statement.

“Today I have closed the investigation because I cannot prove that the act was capable of causing serious fear or that the man had any such intention,” senior prosecutor Fredrik Jonsson said.

The European Broadcasting Union, which organises the event, said it stood by its decision to disqualify Klein in strict accordance with Eurovision Song Contest rules and that this was not related to the police investigation.

“Like all responsible employers, we do not tolerate inappropriate behaviour and will always respond to any workplace issues that are reported to us,” EBU deputy director general and media director Jean Philip De Tender said in a statement.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

AVROTROS told Dutch press agency ANP that it is still “deeply disappointed” about Klein’s disqualification and plans to meet with EBU soon to discuss the matter.

Klein’s manager told ANP: “We, as a team, are incredibly happy and relieved that this period of uncertainty has now come to an end. Finally, we can say it out loud: there was never a reason for this case.”

Swiss rapper and singer Nemo won the contest with “The Code”, a drum-and-bass, opera, rap and rock tune.

(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen, Charlotte Van Campenhout in Amsterdam, editing by Terje Solsvik, Giles Elgood and Rod Nickel)