The prosecutor demanded today in the court in Assen a prison sentence of seven years against a 43-year-old man from Deventer. He is suspected of attempted manslaughter of his ex-girlfriend by shooting her from close range with a firearm.
The prosecutor: “Every 8 days, a woman is killed in the Netherlands. Often by her partner or ex. What often starts as a beautiful love, with intense contact and a rapid development in the relationship can end in a dynamic where jealous, coercive, or controlling behavior takes over. And I say end: because it sometimes becomes so severe that life – often of the woman in question – is ended by a man.”
According to the prosecutor, the victim could easily have been one of those women who is killed by her ex. The act of the suspect is, in the opinion of the Public Prosecution Service, to be qualified as an attempt at femicide. Not only because the violence is against a woman by her ex, but also because specific aspects emerge from the file that often play in this context: controlling, dominant, and jealous behavior by the suspect, “rules” about how his girlfriend should look, about norms and values that he finds important, how she should behave as a woman. “A relationship that was ended by the victim. Which the suspect had an incredibly hard time with. And which ultimately led to the choice to shoot her with a firearm. Six times.
That, in my opinion, shows a great contempt for the most fundamental right a person has, namely the right to life.”
The victim has testified in the courtroom about how this act of the suspect has dominated her life to this day: fears, reliving, and a continuous feeling of insecurity. “I hold the suspect heavily accountable for having done this to her, in her own home, with a firearm, in her back, such violence.”
In addition to the seriousness of the act, the prosecutor also takes into account the personality of the suspect and his personal circumstances. The psychologist and psychiatrist advise that treatment is necessary. Treatment aimed at behavioral patterns and particularly focused on relationships and sexuality, but also emphasis on substance use, increasing self-image, and problem-solving skills. The prosecutor finds no indication that the suspect acted out of a psychosis due to drugs. However, she can agree with the experts advice to have the suspect treated. A TBS measure is not deemed necessary. In addition to a prison sentence, she finds a behavioral influencing and freedom-restricting measure appropriate. “The crime is, in my opinion, inextricably linked to a relationship with a woman. The treatment must ensure that the risk of recidivism, which exists, is minimized as much as possible.”
The Public Prosecution Service demands a prison sentence of seven years. The prosecutor also requests the court to impose a contact ban with the victim on the suspect for the maximum duration of five years.
The court will make a ruling in 14 days.
