Convicted teacher killer appeals

10 May 2004

AMSTERDAM — The 17-year-old boy sentenced last month to five years jail and TBS psychiatric detention for shooting and killing deputy headmaster Hans van Wieren has appealed the ruling, it was reported Monday.

A children’s court in The Hague convicted Murat D. of murder on 29 April and agreeing with the prosecution, the court decided to treat the defendant as an adult rather than apply juvenile sentencing criteria.

Economics teacher Van Wieren was shot at the Terra College in The Hague on 13 January and died that night in hospital. D. surrendered to police about an hour later.

The court based its sentence on the seriousness of the crime and ignored advice from psychiatric experts who had urged for D. to be sentenced based on juvenile law.

It thus opted to impose a long-term psychiatric treatment in an adult TBS detention centre. Under juvenile law, the maximum D could have been sentenced to was six years TBS and two years jail, news agency ANP reported.

According to the court, there was also no doubt that D. had shot Van Wieren with premeditated intent. Furthermore, the sentence was harsher due to the fact the shooting occurred in the school canteen of the Terra College.

It is not yet known when the appeal ruling will be heard.

Subject: Dutch news