Today, a 20-year-old man from Heemskerk was tried in a summary court session in Haarlem. The Public Prosecution Service found it proven that he was guilty of attempted threat and possession of a firework fuel combination, consisting of a Cobra 6 attached to a bottle of gasoline. The prosecutor stated: ‘It is one thing that the suspect shared a photo of a firework bomb online. But the fact that he also suggested that this bomb would be used to carry out an attack is very serious and concerning.’ The Public Prosecution Service demanded six months of imprisonment, half of which is conditional. The police judge ruled in accordance with the Public Prosecution Services demand.
Conflicts
What recently transpired in Beverwijk and Haarlem has kept the publics attention across the country. Conflicts between rival groups escalated into violent incidents that were filmed and shared on social media. This has caused significant social unrest in Kennemerland, leading to the temporary closure of secondary schools and sports clubs in Beverwijk, Heemskerk, and Haarlem. The case being heard today is also related to this situation.
Firework Bomb
The 20-year-old man from Heemskerk shared multiple videos and screenshots regarding the conflict via his public TikTok account. He was arrested on September 12 after sharing a post of an image of a firework fuel combination and clown mask, with the text ‘they will never forget the mask soon’ (with an explosion sign behind it) and with the hashtags ‘023’, ‘italiëlaanhaarlem’, ‘next’, ‘boom’. He did this while the conflicts were ongoing both online and offline. The police investigated the user behind the account and the IP address from which the message was sent, leading them to the suspect. After his arrest, the police searched the suspects home. Items seen in his TikTok post were found, including a firework fuel combination consisting of a bottle of gasoline with a Super Cobra 6 attached.
Threat
The message in which the suspect threatened with a firework bomb is, in the opinion of the Public Prosecution Service, very threatening. In his message, the suspect made it clear that the bomb could be used to cause an explosion in a residential area. However, a completed threat can only be legally considered if the threat - in any way - reaches the threatened party. From the post on TikTok, it appears that the threat was directed at individuals in Schalkwijk, particularly residents of the Italiëlaan. However, the police investigation did not reveal whether those individuals were actually aware of the threat. According to the Public Prosecution Service, there is indeed an attempted threat, as the message was posted on a public account and could cause fear for anyone who saw it.
Adding Fuel to the Fire
The Public Prosecution Service believes that the frightening message should be placed in the context of the feud between rival groups, who did not shy away from severe violence. The prosecutor stated: ‘It is one thing that the suspect, in light of the ongoing conflict, took a photo of a firework bomb and posted it via his public TikTok account. But the fact that he also used hashtags suggesting that this bomb would be used to carry out an attack is very serious and concerning. It is the proverbial fuel to the fire in the conflict between the rival groups. Ultimately, society has also become a victim of this.’ The Public Prosecution Service demanded six months of imprisonment, of which three months is conditional with a probation period of two years, and with special conditions as advised by the Probation Service, including a location ban for Haarlem-Schalkwijk. The police judge ruled in accordance with the Public Prosecution Services demand.
