“The victim could not foresee that a Tinder match would ultimately end in a nightmare,” begins the prosecutor today in court. The nightmare lasts from July 27 to 28, 2024. During this time, the victim is held captive, tortured, humiliated, and robbed in a house in Utrecht. The Public Prosecution Service demands a prison sentence of 6 years for a 19-year-old man from Rotterdam. The co-defendant, a 19-year-old woman from Roosendaal, is facing 16 months of juvenile detention and a conditional youth measure.
The story begins on July 25, 2024. With a swipe to the right, the victim meets Elisa: the female suspect on the dating app Tinder. They chat back and forth and eventually decide to meet on July 26. The chat shows that clear agreements are made about what is and is not acceptable on the date. When they meet later that day, the date initially goes as discussed. At the end of the evening, the suspect asks for the victims PIN code and the code for his banking app, which he voluntarily provides. Without the victim knowing, the woman shares his details with the male suspect.
Fear Sets In
On Saturday afternoon, the atmosphere changes. With the victims consent, the female suspect ties him up. From that moment on, everything goes wrong. Contrary to the agreement, the victim is completely taped up and bound with ropes. His mouth and eyes are also covered against his will. He states that he asked multiple times to be let go. He also mentions that he expressed several times that it was going too far and that he was panicking. But the suspect pays no heed to this.
Violence
At one point, the victim realizes that there are not one but two people involved in the violence. He occasionally hears a deep voice and thinks he hears a second person enter the room multiple times over the days. This suspicion is later confirmed in the investigation when it is found that the male suspects phone has repeatedly connected to the crime scene. The violence escalates. The victim is kicked and punched numerous times, his feet are set on fire, cigarette butts are extinguished on his body, and he is ultimately doused with bleach. Later, a doctor states that the victim has suffered extensive and severe injuries, including bruised ribs, burns on his feet and head, and a bruised heart.
Blackmail
It becomes clear later in the investigation that the extreme violence has a purpose. From chat conversations between the two suspects, it quickly becomes apparent that both suspects are after the victims money. After sharing the PIN code on Friday, the victims bank card is at some point given to the male suspect. While he goes to withdraw cash, he calls the co-defendant via chat to ensure that the victim is not let go. He also shares with another person that he has videos of the victim and is blackmailing him. The victim is also informed of this last message. He is told that the videos will be shared with his family if he does not cooperate. The videos are later found on both suspects phones. Surveillance footage from the ATM later shows that the male suspect withdrew €5000 from the victims account at various ATMs on July 27.
Escape
The hellish date only ends when the victim manages to escape on July 28. In a panic, he jumps off the roof of the house where he has been held for days. The female suspect is arrested shortly after in the house. The male suspect is at that moment getting cable ties, glasses, and tape to continue the violence. His arrest follows later that day. “If it had been up to the suspects, it would not have been over yet,” says the prosecutor in court. “More money was needed. The suspect even texted that he would ensure that contact would be made with the bank on Monday.”
“Pulling Out All the Stops”
Regarding the punishment that the suspects should receive according to the Public Prosecution Service, the prosecutor is clear. “The suspects went very far to get money. Everything was pulled out to empty the victims account.” In determining the sentence demand, the prosecutor takes multiple points into account. The male suspect takes little responsibility. He claims to have only tied up the victim and denies having contributed to the violence. He also has a criminal record. At the advice of experts, the Public Prosecution Service applies adult criminal law to this suspect. The Public Prosecution Service demands a prison sentence of 6 years for the 19-year-old man from Rotterdam. The man is also to receive a restraining order against the victim and the co-defendant and must pay compensation.
The 19-year-old woman from Roosendaal has committed the same offenses according to the Public Prosecution Service. Unlike the male suspect, she has no criminal record. The investigation has also shown that there was a relationship of dependency between her and the co-defendant. This suspect has fully cooperated with the investigation and has been declared partially unaccountable as a result. The psychologist and probation service recommend applying juvenile criminal law to this suspect for various reasons. The Public Prosecution Service agrees with this. Therefore, the Public Prosecution Service demands a juvenile detention of 16 months for the 19-year-old woman from Roosendaal. She is also to receive a conditional youth measure and must also pay compensation.
The court will deliver its verdict on June 17.