Dutch singer Marco Borsato, once one of the most popular performers in the country, went on trial in Utrecht on Tuesday accused of sexually abusing a minor.

Borsato, who arrived at the court amid a barrage of publicity, was reported to police in 2021 by a 22-year-old woman who claimed the singer had touched her sexually from the age of 15. The girl is the daughter of a former assistant of the singer who allegedly discovered the abuse when reading her daughter’s diary.

The OM decided in 2023 there were grounds for prosecution, prioritising the case over others because of its “impact on society” and because the Borsato’s name had been leaked, broadcaster NOS reported.

The case then took another two years to get to court because of investigations requested by the lawyers of both parties, including a probe into the authenticity of the diary.

Borsato in turn has reported the woman for libel and slander and her mother for entrapment and complicity. The singer claims the mother reported him out of spite but has not revealed her alleged motivation.

The singer has not performed since the accusations surfaced four years ago, and has also resigned as ambassador for charity WarChild.

In 2022, Borsato was also accused of groping candidates in the Voice of Holland talent show but his case did not come to court because of a lack of evidence.

Today’s session will hear the exact nature of the accusations against Borsato and will be resumed on Thursday.