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Retired court reporter uses X to foster nuanced public understanding
🇳🇱 Netherlands /Crime & Justice

Retired court reporter uses X to foster nuanced public understanding

From NRC Handelsblad · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Saskia Belleman continues her work as a freelance court reporter for De Telegraaf after retirement, actively engaging with the public on X (formerly Twitter).
  • Belleman uses X to share facts and engage in discussions, aiming to foster nuanced judgments based on evidence, particularly concerning sensitive cases like femicide.
  • She advocates for understanding the roots of victim-blaming, attributing it to fear, and has worked to highlight the pattern of femicide, emphasizing that women are often killed not out of pure hatred but due to unreciprocated male desires.

Even after retiring, Saskia Belleman remains a dedicated court reporter, now working freelance for De Telegraaf. She continues to visit courthouses weekly, bringing her extensive experience to bear on reporting. Belleman, who spent 16 years covering cases, reflects on her career in the Human program "Over Leven" with Coen Verbraak. She admits that while she always strived to remain factual, she occasionally let her personal feelings show, once noting a particularly unsympathetic suspect who had blackmailed young women.

Rarely have I encountered such an unsympathetic suspect.

— Saskia BellemanReflecting on a past case involving a suspect who blackmailed young women.

Belleman maintains an active presence on X, using the platform to report live from court and engage directly with the public. She views X as an "open sewer" but precisely for that reason, she believes it's essential to engage there. "Precisely on X are the people I need to explain things to," she stated. Belleman is undeterred by lengthy discussions, even if they extend over ten posts, believing that if she can make two or three people think critically each day, it's a worthwhile effort. "It won't be for lack of trying on my part," she asserts.

X is a kind of open sewer.

— Saskia BellemanExplaining her reasons for being active on the social media platform.

She actively participates in discussions, whether addressing claims of lenient judges or calls for extreme punishment. Belleman also seeks to understand the origins of victim-blaming, suggesting it stems from fear – a way for people to distance themselves from a situation by blaming the victim, fearing it could happen to them. "The blame placed on the victim stems from fear," she explained.

Precisely on X are the people I need to explain things to.

— Saskia BellemanJustifying her engagement with the public on social media.

Belleman has also been instrumental in bringing femicide to the public agenda. After observing a pattern in numerous cases where women were killed by men close to them, often after they had sought help multiple times, she highlighted the issue. While she finds the term "femicide" semantically insufficient, as women are typically murdered due to unfulfilled male desires rather than pure misogyny, she acknowledges its utility in initiating broader conversations. "But if that word helps to get the dynamic going, okay," she conceded.

If I can make two or three people think critically each day, it's a worthwhile effort.

— Saskia BellemanDescribing her goals for engaging in online discussions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by NRC Handelsblad in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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