Moroccan Kickboxing Champion Badr Hari Arrested for Alleged Assault on Ex-Wife

Badr Hari is no longer free to move around. Suspected of having assaulted his ex-wife, he was arrested on Sunday in Amsterdam. In a video he made for De Telegraaf, the journalist specialized in criminal affairs, John van den Heuvel, confirms the arrest of the Moroccan champion. Since then, he has been detained. He is accused of having assaulted his ex-wife with whom he has five children.

The alleged assault would have taken place in front of the ex-wife’s house. The kickboxer is said to have gone there last Sunday to pick up his children as provided for in the custody agreement. "He showed up at the door, and an altercation broke out for an as yet undetermined reason. Blows would have been struck, and he would have hit his ex at least twice. Finally, the situation calmed down, but the blows were so violent that she contacted the police," recounts journalist John van den Heuvel.

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A doorbell camera is said to have recorded the assault. After the incident, Hari’s ex-partner revealed in a statement to the police that there had already been problems of domestic violence in the past. "At the time, there had already been contact with the police, but she had reasons not to file a complaint yet. One can imagine various reasons for this. It seems that a warning interview had taken place between him and the police at that time. This means: ’We’ve got our eye on you, so be careful.’ And now a complaint has finally been filed."

According to Van den Heuvel, Hari’s detention will be extended for a few days, "because the justice system is taking no risks and the fight against domestic violence has become a priority for the police." In 2012, Hari was convicted for the assault of businessman Koen Everink, during an event at the Amsterdam Arena. He had been sentenced to two years in prison, ten months of which were suspended.