News report | 14-01-2026 | 17:09
A 19-year-old resident of The Hague appeared in court today because he shot fireworks during New Years Eve. Police officers were hit. The suspect was sentenced by the summary judge to 15 days in prison and 40 hours of community service.
The suspect was on the street in the Transvaal district of The Hague on the evening of December 31. Fireworks were set off and according to the suspect, he and a friend also shot at each other. At the moment he fired fireworks at the car in which his friend was riding, police motorcyclists came around the corner. They were hit by the fireworks. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the suspect clearly saw the officers and nevertheless aimed the fireworks at them. The public prosecutor demanded a prison sentence of 28 days, of which 14 were conditional, and 100 hours of community service.
The judge did not find it proven that the suspect deliberately shot fireworks at the police. For this reason, she imposed a lighter sentence than the Public Prosecution Service had demanded. However, she considered attempted grievous bodily harm proven: by firing the fireworks horizontally, the suspect accepted the risk that bystanders could be injured. She imposed a prison sentence of 15 days (which the suspect has already served in pretrial detention) and 40 hours of community service. The judge also ruled that the suspect must pay both officers 200 euros in damages.