The Public Prosecution Service demands eight years of imprisonment against a 42-year-old man from The Hague, who is suspected of manslaughter. The suspect allegedly pushed a 51-year-old man into the water in the summer of 2023, knowing that the victim could not swim. The victim subsequently died.
On August 25, 2023, around 19:13, the lifeless body of the victim was found in the water along the Uilebomen in The Hague by passersby in a boat. The police and the coroner investigated the death and concluded that there were no indications of a crime. The victim had drowned and there were no defensive wounds on his body. Additionally, the victim had his pants down and his bladder was empty, making it very likely that the victim had fainted while urinating in the canal. The investigation was closed.
The case took a striking turn when a 42-year-old suspect from The Hague was arrested for shoplifting one and a half years later on February 13 of this year. At the police station, the suspect became emotional and confessed that he had pushed someone into the canal in August 2023 who could not swim. A criminal investigation was subsequently initiated.
Sufficient Evidence
There are no camera recordings of the incident itself and there were also no witnesses, which means there is only a confessing statement from the suspect. Nevertheless, according to the Public Prosecution Service, there is sufficient evidence to support the suspects statement. The body of the victim was found near the spot where the suspect claims to have pushed him. The suspect states that he pushed the victim around six or seven oclock, which corresponds with the time the victim was found. There is also support for the suspects statement, in which he says that the victim was drunk. There are camera recordings from earlier that day showing the victim walking drunk in the street.
Conditional Intent
According to the Public Prosecution Service, there is conditional intent in this case. The suspect knew that the victim could not swim and that he was extremely drunk. He then pushed the victim into the water at a spot where one cannot get out. “The suspect did not even look in the water and walked away without calling for help. Thus, he accepted the chance that the victim would drown,” said the public prosecutor.
Demand
The public prosecutor demands, in addition to imprisonment, a behavior-influencing and freedom-restricting measure. The prosecution takes into account the fact that the suspect has felt remorse for what he has done and has confessed of his own accord.
The court will make a ruling in two weeks.
