Bullet threat suspect faces psych analysis

12 December 2003

AMSTERDAM — The 48-year-old Rotterdam man accused of sending “bullet threat letters” to Queen Beatrix, leading politicians and top football coaches will be psychiatrically assessed in the Pieter Baan Centrum (PBC).

The man, identified as P. A. S., appeared in the Rotterdam Court during a pre-trial hearing on Friday and was told that the PBC will conduct a personality assessment of him. The court case was adjourned for a maximum of three months.

The man is accused of sending between May 2002 and September 2003 a multiple amount of threatening letters, sometimes with or without one or more bullets, news agency ANP reported.

He allegedly sent letters to Queen Beatrix and leading politicians such as Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, former Immigration Minister Hilbrand Nawijn, populist LPF leader Mat Herben, Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner and former Economic Affairs ministers Annemarie Jorritsma and Herman Heinsbroek.

Football coaches Frank Rijkaard, Bert van Marwijk, Guus Hiddink, Dutch football association KNVB director Henk Kesler, media celebrities Jeroen Pauw, Fons van Westerloo, Albert Verlinde, Jaap Jongbloed and Peter R. de Vries also received bullet letters.

But the list does not end there. Lawyer Britta Böhler, Amsterdam public prosecutor Koos Plooy and Amsterdam court president Frans Bauduin were also threatened.

Both Plooy and Bauduin were officially involved in the trial of Volkert van der Graaf, who was convicted and sentenced to 18-years jail earlier this year for the killing of maverick, anti-immigration politician Pim Fortuyn in May 2002.

The bullet letters caused immediate concern in the Netherlands after the May 2002 shooting of Fortuyn. Amid a turbulent political climate, it was feared that similar murders might take place.

Investigations soon indicated that the letters were probably sent by one suspect, but police found it a more difficult task to track down the culprit.

Suspect P. A. S. was arrested in September 2003 and police allegedly found seven weapons in his residence and a large number of bullets. It is alleged that A did not have a permit for the weapons.

Subject: Dutch news