On April 9, 2025, a demonstration takes place in Uden against the establishment of an asylum center in the municipality of Maashorst. When disturbances occur, six people are arrested. A 64-year-old man from Uden is arrested a few days later. He is suspected of having posted images of a police officer online with the aim of uncovering his personal data (doxing). He is also suspected of incitement. Today, the Public Prosecution Service demanded two months of imprisonment against him. The judge ultimately imposed a substantial community service sentence.
Instilling fear
The police start an investigation when a photo of a police officer appears on the mans Facebook page. There is a call for more photos to be posted and further dissemination. On April 16, the man is subsequently arrested.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the Facebook post shows that the suspect intended to instill fear in the police officer and hinder him in performing his duties. There is intimidating messaging on a large platform. Because the post is made in the context of the societal debate around asylum centers, it comes across as particularly threatening. The inciting nature of the post is evident from the posting of photos combined with inciting texts. The police are labeled as criminals, and the suspect calls on others to post more photos of police officers.
Special protection
The public prosecutor: The actions of the suspect are very harmful, immoral, and a threat to our democratic rule of law. Society expects police officers to act, even in difficult and dangerous situations. For this reason, they deserve special protection to prevent them from becoming victims of criminal acts while performing their duties. The intimidation has far-reaching impacts not only on the victim but also on colleagues and the police organization as a whole.
Substantial community service
In considering an appropriate punishment, the Public Prosecution Service takes into account the seriousness of the facts, the impact on the victim and the environment, the societal consequences, and the clear signal that must be sent to protect the rule of law. The Public Prosecution Service demanded a prison sentence of two months in this case. The magistrate largely agreed with the Public Prosecution Services assessment and imposed a community service sentence of 120 hours and a conditional prison sentence of two weeks.