Footage of a woman being severely beaten inside an NL Jobs company car went viral across Dutch platforms this week.
The couple at the centre of the case are Romanian, and both had been placed in work by NL Jobs.
The agency mainly supplies foreign labour to horticulture, packing and technical roles across the western Netherlands. According to a spokesperson who spoke to AD, the man is the woman’s partner.
A recognisable car, and a video that spread fast
The attack happened last Sunday in Schagen. A bystander, filmed it from a short distance away.
What the footage captures is hard to watch. The woman tries to get out of the vehicle, and the man drags her back inside to keep hitting her, striking with enough force to visibly rock the car.
By later that day the clip had landed on several platforms, including the Dutch shock site Dumpert, where it passed 125,000 views.
The car was clearly identifiable as an NL Jobs vehicle, tying a private assault directly to a named company.
Woman didn’t want to press charges
The violence happened in one of NL Jobs’ cars, but management is adamant it occurred outside working hours and entirely in the couple’s private life.
Workers who pay bijtelling (a Dutch tax on the private use of a company car) are allowed to drive the vehicles off the clock, the spokesperson noted to AD.
The agency says it knew nothing of any abuse and was shocked. However, when confronted with the video, the couple reportedly stayed remarkably calm, and the woman did not want to report anything herself.
That refusal is the difficult part. Without the victim coming forward, an employer has very little formal footing, which is often exactly where these cases stall.
NL Jobs filed a report anyway
However, the agency didn’t leave it there. The man was dismissed on the spot, and the company took the assault to the police itself.
In a written statement, NL Jobs said it condemns every form of violence, calling it flatly incompatible with the firm’s values. It promised full cooperation with the authorities and acknowledged that what happens next is out of its hands.
The spokesperson also argued that employers need better tools for moments like this, floating the idea of a dedicated platform where such situations could be flagged.
For anyone living in the Netherlands and facing violence at home, confidential advice and support are available through Veilig Thuis (the national point for reporting and advice on domestic abuse), which can be reached free on 0800-2000.
Should agencies that place workers carry more responsibility when abuse surfaces among their staff? Tell us what you think in the comments.
