The Public Prosecution Service today demanded 25 years of unconditional imprisonment against four suspects in Arnhem. They are accused of murder in association. The prosecutor stated, “The investigation reveals a shocking picture of how easily a decision was made about the life and death of the young woman.”
The suspect (36) was caught in the act and claimed his sister needed to die for not adhering to the familys cultural values. He showed no emotion. “The officers felt he was even proud,” the prosecutor remarked in court. Investigations revealed that the oldest brother, who lived in Denmark, did not act alone. He had been in frequent contact with three accomplices about the victims lifestyle and how to solve this. The three accomplices included another brother (28), a cousin (27), and the victims ex-partner (37). The oldest brother stayed with two accomplices in a B&B in Apeldoorn shortly before the murder. The woman was stabbed with a knife from the kitchen of this accommodation.
The Public Prosecution Service suspects the four of not only murder but also of conspiracy to commit murder. Messages exchanged between the suspects indicate they had wanted to kill the victim since July. At that time, the oldest brother had come from Denmark to the Netherlands, and three of the four men stayed in the B&B in Apeldoorn. They waited for hours at the victims address, but she never showed up. The plan was not executed in July but was carried out on September 5.
One of the four suspects wielded the knife. However, investigations convincingly show that all four believed the victim had dishonored the family by starting a new relationship. They discussed extensively how to resolve the situation to restore honor. If the young woman refused to move to her parents in The Hague, the suspects believed there was only one solution: she had to be killed. It was planned that the oldest brother would do it, but the other three would assist in the execution, cover hotel costs, and pay for the lawyer. The Public Prosecution Service considers this murder in association. All suspects are equally responsible.
The prosecutor emphasized her demand for a severe sentence: “I read in the newspapers that this case is described as The Apeldoorn honor killing case. As if there is anything honorable about what happened to this young mother, who was working freely for a good life with her child. She was brutally slaughtered in broad daylight. The girl was holding her mothers hand and had to let go. There will never be a moment she can hold that hand again. The calmness with which the suspects stick to the murder plan is astonishing. In a case like this, only a very long prison sentence is appropriate, especially since the motive for the murder lies in the aforementioned honor killing. This is a completely unacceptable phenomenon that has absolutely no place in our Dutch society.”