An 82-year-old man was stabbed in the upper leg in broad daylight on January 18, 2024. This occurred at the Spanish Bridge in Rotterdam Overschie. The victim later died in the hospital from his injuries. Today, 12 years in prison have been demanded against the man suspected of this, a 47-year-old man from Poland.
Shortly after the stabbing incident, the police arrived on the scene. They found the suspect with the knife still in his hands and blood on his hands. DNA testing later showed that the knife and the suspects hands contained the victims blood.
The suspect also threatened another man with a knife shortly after the stabbing incident. The man was working that morning when the suspect approached him with a knife. He was able to quickly get into a car and slam the door, causing the knife to hit the window. The prosecutor said: “Otherwise, it could have turned out much worse.”
Unclear motives
The suspect has been observed at the Pieter Baan Center. It was determined that he has acquired brain injury and a severe alcohol use disorder. However, there is insufficient insight into the extent to which there is a psychotic disorder. It is unclear what motivated the suspect to commit these acts.
During the hearing, the prosecutor explained that TBS with compulsory treatment is not appropriate. However, the prosecutor suggested to the court to impose the behavioral influence measure of article 38z Sr. This allows the suspect to be supervised even after serving a prison sentence. This prevents the suspect from being released untreated and unsupervised onto the streets if treatment is necessary at the end of detention to prevent recidivism.
Irreparable harm
“The suspect has deprived the victim of the most fundamental right that a person possesses: the right to life,” said the prosecutor during the hearing. “While the victim, an 82-year-old man, was out walking on the morning of January 18, 2024, he was stabbed multiple times in his leg out of nowhere by the suspect. He was completely defenseless against the suspect with his knife and died three days later. The suspect has caused irreparable harm to the survivors. Given the seriousness of the facts, a long prison sentence must be imposed.”