First Overview of New Years Cases 2025-2026

News report | 07-01-2026 | 12:56

The OM finds it unacceptable when rioters disrupt the New Years celebrations. When they commit criminal offenses, the OM will take action against them. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) considers New Years Eve an event. This means that a 75 percent aggravating factor applies when assessing New Years related criminal cases. Whether this ultimately leads to a 75 percent higher sentence (demand) depends on the other circumstances of the offense and the suspect. The public prosecutor always takes this into account when assessing a criminal case, with intoxication during the offense also acting as an aggravating factor.

Violence against emergency workers

If there is aggression or violence against persons committed to public safety, such as police, ambulance personnel, and firefighters, an aggravation of 200 percent applies as a starting point when assessing the criminal case. During New Years, the starting point for violence against people with a public task is therefore a total aggravating factor of 275 percent.

Attorney General Sue Preenen, with portfolio Safe Public Task (VPT): The number of suspects reported to the OM regarding violence against emergency workers has increased compared to last year. Aggression and violence are not tolerated. Emergency workers such as police, fire, and ambulance personnel are ready every day to help people and make our society safer. They must be able to do their work undisturbed. The OM therefore continues to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of suspects who use violence against emergency workers.

The OM will also demand severe penalties against anyone who imports, trades, manufactures, or ignites illegal (heavy) fireworks such as mortars and cobras. Illegal fireworks are extremely dangerous in the hands of civilians and have caused severe fire damage and many accidents with victims who lost limbs or suffered eye or hearing damage, including young children. Injury figures from last New Years show that 47 percent of injuries were caused by illegal fireworks, while 41 percent were caused by legal fireworks. Unfortunately, there were also three fatal victims due to fireworks.

Penalties for possessing, manufacturing, or igniting firework bombs are included in the guideline for prosecution of fireworks offenses (2024r011). Offenders do not get away with a light sentence. They can receive imprisonment. The maximum prison sentence for trading or possessing such fireworks is 6 years.

Appropriate settlement

Cases can be settled by the OM with a fine or community service, but the OM can also decide to bring cases before the court. This always depends on the facts and circumstances of the case. Persons suspected of violence against people committed to public safety are generally brought before the court. For example, throwing (illegal) fireworks at emergency workers and violence against police can result in imprisonment. This often involves not only violations of the fireworks decree but also other criminal offenses, such as aggravated assault, manslaughter, or attempts thereof. Ultimately, the judge decides the sentence and whether it aligns with the public prosecutors demand. The public prosecutor can also bring a suspect before the summary court if the case is suitable. These are relatively simple cases in terms of evidence.

Seized illegal fireworks

In 2025, the police and the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) seized 137,352 kilos of illegal fireworks. This is an increase compared to the previous year, when 107,281 kilos were seized. All figures can be found in the fireworks barometer of the OM.