“Hide everything, he has escaped! – K-zooi! How is that possible?” Two messages exchanged on Friday, May 26, 2023. The Pentecost weekend is about to begin. In Spanbroek, an Austrian man escapes from a chalet where he was held by several men. His escape does not last long, as his kidnappers manage to recapture him. The Austrian reportedly has a drug debt with one of his kidnappers. What follows is a hectic weekend in which police and the Public Prosecution Service do everything they can to track down the kidnapped man. They succeed, and several suspects are arrested. Four of them appeared in court today in Haarlem, where the Public Prosecution Service demanded up to 24 months in prison.
The Austrian man escaped from the chalet through a small window in the kitchen. One of the suspects managed to grab him by his underwear, which tore. The Austrian walked into the center of Spanbroek in his socks and was seen by several people. He tried to get on a bus, but that failed. Eventually, the kidnappers found him and pushed him into a car. There is a photo of this, shared by the police and the Public Prosecution Service with the media, calling on the public to report if they had seen the man or his kidnappers. The Austrian was taken by the kidnappers to a second address in Hoorn. There he managed to escape again. On the second day of Pentecost, the man was found thanks to a tip from an attentive NS employee. She saw the man on the train platform and recognized him from the search announcements.
Fortnite
The Austrian man provided extensive statements to the police. It turns out that he was held captive by his kidnappers for nearly a week. Four men were involved in the kidnapping, and they are on trial today. The Austrian stated that he was beaten, threatened with an aggressive fighting dog, and subjected to violence against his family. For example, the kidnappers played the game Fortnite in his presence, using characters that resemble the Austrians family members. All his family members die at the end of the game.
For the public prosecutor, it is crystal clear that the Austrian was held against his will and that the suspects are guilty of unlawful deprivation of liberty: They deprived the man of his freedom twice. Violence was used against someone in a vulnerable position; the Austrian was in a foreign country where he knows no one.
Sentencing Demands
A 33-year-old man from Hoorn played the role of creditor; the Austrian has a drug debt to him. A 39-year-old man from Assen and another 33-year-old man from Hoorn acted as guards for the Austrian. A 33-year-old man from Wognum provided assistance, accompanying him in the search for the Austrian in Spanbroek.
The public prosecutor demands a 24-month unconditional prison sentence with deduction of pre-trial detention against the 33-year-old man from Hoorn who wanted to collect the drug debt.
The demand against the two guards is the same: 24 months unconditional with deduction.
The 33-year-old man from Wognum does not have to return to prison according to justice. The demand against him is 365 days, of which 180 days are conditional, with a probation period of two years.
The case will continue on March 12 with the defenses pleas. The court is expected to rule on April 7.