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Danish film producer returns to work despite harassment allegations

Ritzau/The Local
Ritzau/The Local - [email protected]
Danish film producer returns to work despite harassment allegations
Peter Aalbæk Jensen. File photo: Morten Stricker/Scanpix Denmark/Ritzau

Film producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen, a many-time colleague of director Lars von Trier, will return to his position at film company Zentropa, the firm has announced in a press statement.

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Aalbæk Jensen will return to work after Zentropa received a response from Denmark’s Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet) over its investigation into the work environment at the film company.

“No working environment-related problems were found at the time of the investigation. The Working Environment Authority has decided to give Zentropa instructions relating to prevention of problems with psychological working conditions,” the press statement read.

The company previously confirmed that Aalbæk Jensen, who has been accused of sexually harassing employees, would stay away from the firm until the report of the investigation had been completed.

Aalbæk Jensen and Zentropa found themselves in the media spotlight in the wake of the global #metoo campaign, which has seen women share their experiences of sexual assault.

Zentropa initiated dialogue with all its employees as a response to that campaign. New guidelines were implemented as a result.

“The instructions [issued by the Working Environment Authority] fit well with the guidelines Zentropa issued after a series of internal meetings between management and staff prior to the commencement of the Working Environment Authority investigation,” the company wrote in its press statement.

The authority’s investigation included looking into reports that Aalbæk Jensen groped women and smacked their backsides, news agency Ritzau reported in November.

That came after nine former female employees of Zentropa told newspaper Politiken that an inappropriate culture had for a number of years existed at the company.

Aalbæk Jensen told Politiken that the situations described by the nine women had either occurred as a general or recurring ritual at Zentropa or were something that he did not remember, but “probably happened”.

READ ALSO: Lars von Trier denies Björk's sexual harassment claim

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