Press photographer films own assault with bodycam, woman arrested

Press photographer films own assault with bodycam, woman arrested | Abroad

A press photographer was assaulted by a woman on Tuesday evening while taking photos at an accident in The Hague. The woman punched the photographer several times in the head. “Unfortunately, this is not the first time that I have had to file a report.”

Press photographer Olav Spa was at work just before 9 p.m. last night to report on an accident. Two women fell from an electric bicycle and were injured in the accident. One victim was taken to a hospital and the other woman had injuries to her teeth.

When the first photos were taken, the situation became heated. “I was shouted at by one of the women. She told me to stop taking pictures,” Spa tells the Dutch newspaper ‘Algemeen Dagblad’.

Public road

Spa hears this more often during his work. “I then try to calmly explain that this is for my work. That photography is permitted on public roads. And so I will continue to take photos.” The photographer says that he deliberately distanced himself last night to face the woman. That calmed the situation down.

Ten minutes later he is attacked after all. “She stormed towards me and started lashing out. I received blows to my back, neck and the back of my head.” The officers who dealt with the accident immediately took the woman away from him. She was arrested and taken to a police station. Spa was no longer able to take photos due to the abuse and had to go to the doctor at night with a severe headache.

“I have reported assault. And unfortunately it is not the first time that I have had to report harassment during my work. It was the first time I had been physically attacked.”