ANP extension
ANNOUNCEMENTS•
Sanil B. was sentenced to seven years in prison for the fatal assault in Mallorca last year. The judge found that there was insufficient evidence against two other young men who, according to the OM, were involved in the death of Carlo Heuvelman. They were punished for more nighttime violence that night.
Other suspects involved in the riots on the holiday island received lower, but considerably higher sentences than requested by the Public Prosecutor’s Office (OM). Several suspects who had heard requests for community service or largely suspended prison sentences were sentenced to months in prison by the judge.
“The signal to the suspects and others must be: this kind of senseless and extreme gang violence will be severely punished,” the judge said in the verdict. A ninth suspect, Martijn T., was acquitted.
DNA on the shoe
The 27-year-old Heuvelman from Waddinxveen was attacked in Mallorca last summer by a group of youths from Hilversum. He fell into a coma and died a few days after the attack. Three of the nine suspects, Sanil B., Mees T. and Hein B., were prosecuted for manslaughter.
The court ruled that Heuvelman died because he was kicked in the head, which was attended by Sanil B. Evidence of this was Heuvelman’s DNA that remained on his shoe. According to the court, there was at least one other culprit, but who he was could not be convincingly established.
Mees T. and Hein B. were then acquitted of Heuvelman’s manslaughter charge. However, both received thirty months in prison for their roles in the rest of the violence.
Violence from everyone
The OM required last month 10 years in prison against Sanil B. and 8 years against Mees T. and Hein B. They allegedly deliberately kicked Heuvelman. The lowest sentences were sought against the five other suspects, a sixth suspect could be acquitted, according to the prosecutor.
The court, however, charged the suspects with continuing to participate in the violence. “People need to be able to go out safely, and then also be able to get home safely,” the judge said. “This also applies abroad. Because obviously there is drinking, and then sometimes there are problems. But then everyone should hold back and not resort to violence.”
Witness statements show that Waddinxveen’s victims in Heuvelman’s fatal assault “didn’t do much and were mostly beaten,” according to the court. According to the court, all suspects contributed to the violence against all victims, including Heuvelman.
Not on screen
The judge relied, among other things, on witness statements for his verdict. During the trial it emerged that there are many video images of the various clashes preceding the attack on Heuvelman, but that the fatal attack had not been recorded.
Sanil B. insisted during the trial that he “never saw Heuvelman lying on the ground” and did not know who kicked him. The other suspects also did not reveal the events of the night of July 13-14 during the entire trial. No one returned a call from Heuvelman’s father for clarification.
