“She was a loving mother, incredibly involved in the lives of her daughters and many others. She was deeply loved. But she was killed. By her own husband. She had no chance and could not escape his rage.” With these poignant words, the public prosecutor began her indictment today. She demanded 14 years in prison and compulsory treatment for the 57-year-old suspect from Schoonebeek for the murder of his wife on October 29, 2024, in Hardenberg.
“She was a loving mother, incredibly involved in the lives of her daughters and many others. She was deeply loved. But she was killed. By her own husband. She had no chance and could not escape his rage.” With these poignant words, the public prosecutor began her indictment today. She demanded 14 years in prison and compulsory treatment for the 57-year-old suspect from Schoonebeek for the murder of his wife on October 29, 2024, in Hardenberg.
“Femicide, that’s what I call it,” stated the public prosecutor. “It is a tragic phenomenon that is now receiving much attention socially and politically. Tonnie was killed out of jealousy, possessiveness, humiliation, and anger. Because she no longer wanted to be with the suspect. And out of complete contempt for her life, the suspect ended her life. Her four daughters, young women who shared their lives with their mother and loved her dearly, must go on forever without her.”
More than a week before the murder, the 53-year-old Tonnie filed a complaint against her husband. He had assaulted both her and her daughter. She told the police that she was terrified her husband would harm her and that she was afraid that filing a complaint would trigger him. The suspect denies the assault. He claims that mother and daughter attacked him. However, the complaint, photos, the witness statement from his daughter, and that of the neighbor contradict that account. The mayor of the municipality of Emmen imposed a temporary restraining order on the suspect on October 22, 2024. He violated this restraining order on several occasions and in various ways.
On the fateful October 29, the suspect waited for Tonnie after her work at a daycare center in Hardenberg. When she got into her car, he cornered her, smashed a window with a life hammer, and began stabbing her with a knife. She died in the ambulance. Many people witnessed the gruesome act. The Public Prosecution Service considers it proven that the suspect acted with premeditation, given his preparatory actions on that day. He rented a car but took the life hammer from his own car. He left his iPhone 15 at home and started using a new phone. He brought a bag containing knives that he had purchased two days earlier. Finally, he stood watch for a while at his wife’s workplace. In the eyes of the Public Prosecution Service, this was not a crime of passion. The suspect admits to the act but claims he was triggered by the victim and insists that it was not solely his fault.
Experts conclude that the suspect has a disorder in the schizophrenia spectrum. Aspects such as fear of abandonment and humiliation may have influenced his behavior. Furthermore, they conclude that there are indications of drug use. Experts recommend attributing the facts to a lesser degree. The Public Prosecution Service adopts that conclusion, but the public prosecutor emphasized that the Public Prosecution Service holds the suspect largely responsible for the committed acts: “The suspect was indeed able to think, act, and make choices. He was very calculating in the lead-up to the murder. Moreover, he had been using drugs since 2021, and from that time, his psychological problems arose. Also, during the commission of the murder, he was under the influence of drugs, as forensic research shows, while the suspect continues to deny this.” According to the public prosecutor, the psychotic vulnerability was exacerbated by drug use, and he is responsible for using drugs himself: “Only a long unconditional prison sentence does justice to all the mentioned facts and circumstances. But besides that prison sentence, I believe that compulsory treatment is necessary for the protection of society.”
