VA suspends official: six months, ten weeks unconditional

Following a disciplinary hearing, the Nederlandse Vechtsportautoriteit (VA, the Dutch Martial Arts Authority) has imposed a six-month suspension on an official involved in an incident at an event in Capelle aan den IJssel on 8 December 2019. Ten weeks of this suspension are unconditional.

The remaining part of the suspension will not be enforced immediately, on the condition that the official commits no similar offence for a period of two years, follows an appropriate course in consultation with the VA and visits ten gyms to raise awareness of the role of, and appreciation for, referees and judges.

The VA arrived at this sanction in view of the circumstances in which the offence was committed (the official was subjected to verbal aggression on several occasions) and the fact that the official has acknowledged that he acted wrongly, that he will follow a course to prevent any repetition, that he has in the past made a considerable contribution to the sport and will continue to do so, and that, given the frequency of his activities, he would moreover be affected disproportionately by an unconditional suspension of longer duration.