A 26-year-old man from Rotterdam appeared before the police judge on Wednesday, April 16, because he assaulted a fellow passenger earlier this year and attempted to hit others. He caused significant disturbance on board.
The Rotterdam resident was on board a flight from Doha to Amsterdam on January 12, 2025. Suddenly, he hit his neighbor multiple times in the face. The victim suffered a nosebleed that lasted a long time. He also had a large swelling around his eye that he continued to suffer from for a long time.
After the aggressive passenger assaulted his neighbor, he also tried to hit other passengers. He was subsequently restrained on the airplane. The staff on board had been dealing with this incident for an extended period. The prosecutor noted during the session that the Rotterdam resident had severely disrupted the order on board the airplane, creating a very dangerous situation.
The man was arrested after the plane landed and questioned by the Royal Marechaussee. He stated that he was irritated by his neighbor because, according to him, the victim was tapping his foot against the defendant. The prosecutor was of the opinion that for this sudden, excessive violence, which caused significant injury to the fellow passenger and created a dangerous situation on board, an unconditional prison sentence of four months should be imposed. The judge ultimately sentenced him, in absentia since the defendant was not present at the hearing, to four months of imprisonment, two of which were conditional, with a probation period of two years.
Additionally, the defendant must compensate the victim for damages, nearly €600.