‘First prize ever’ for whistleblower Hans Loeffen

In recognition of his considerable commitment to a safe sport, the Vechtsportautoriteit (Dutch Martial Arts Authority) has honoured whistleblower Hans Loeffen.

When Hans Loeffen, an official of the World Full Contact Association, learned that a convicted child abuser was working as a youth trainer at a karate school, he raised the alarm. The person concerned, however, filed a complaint against Loeffen for slander and libel, and the case came before the court this spring.

In the courtroom, Loeffen argued that he had not named the convicted abuser on social media in order to defame him, but to warn people, in the public interest. The judge accepted Loeffen's defence that he had put the interests of vulnerable children first, and concluded that he had done so in a responsible manner.

Last week, Hans Loeffen took part in a training day for confidential contact persons (vertrouwenscontactpersoon) together with fifteen others from the martial arts sector. Before the start, VA manager Farid Gamei spoke: “We want to thank Hans for his selfless and tireless commitment to a safe sporting environment, which is also reflected in Loeffen's initiative Not in my dojo. As a small token of appreciation, we are therefore presenting him with this award.”

Loeffen received a symbolic trophy inscribed ‘Whistleblower for the martial arts sector’, followed by a big round of applause. Visibly surprised, he said: “This is my first prize ever!”