The Telegraaf has terminated the contract of crime reporter Mick van Wely after he sexually harassed a woman who was a source for a story, the paper said in a statement on Sunday.

According to the NRC, Van Wely sent a sexually explicit message to a sister of Sabrina Smit, who was murdered in 2001. The woman had approached him to publicise the fact that her sister’s killer had been given a job in the criminal psychiatric clinic where he had been treated, following his release.

Van Wely wrote about the case on Friday after sending the messages some days earlier.

The Telegraaf, which reportedly became aware of the allegation via social media, said Van Wely’s actions constituted a “serious breach” of the code of conduct of the paper’s publisher Mediahuis.

In 2022, Van Wely, 51, was suspended by the paper for sexually harassing several colleagues. He was allowed to return after a few months, after promising to seek professional help.

Van Wely confirmed he had left the Telegraaf “by mutual agreement”. He will also no longer appear on the SBS 6 current affairs show Het Nieuws van de Dag.