Dutch news in brief, 14 April 2005

Man gets 18 years for Tinka murder

Arno N., 34, the main suspect in the murder of Tinka van Rooij, 27, was sentenced to 18 years in jail on Thursday. Two male co-defendants were jailed for 12 and eight years for assisting him, while a woman was cleared of being an accessory to the killing. Breda Court ruled that the three convicted men planned the killing, but the motive for the crime has never been properly established. “Nobody knows why they did this,” the presiding judge said. One suggestion was that Van Rooij was killed by N. in a shed in Zevenbergschenhoek because she no longer wanted to help him with his cannabis-growing operation.

Woman, 80, faces jail for killing daughter

A woman, 80, told Zwolle Court on Thursday that she has little recollection of killing her daughter on 2 January this year. She also said she could scarcely believe that she did it because she was “crazy” about Betty, the victim. The prosecution has called on the court to jail the elderly mother for four years for killing her daughter, 51, who needed constant care due to learning difficulties. She was smothered by a cushion. Defence lawyer Wim Anker described the incident as a tragedy for everyone and he asked the court to impose a non-custodial sentence. He said the woman has been in custody since January, but has only realised in the past few weeks that she is in a jail. The court will deliver its verdict on 28 April.

Stores stop selling Lonsdale

Clothes retailer London Mode has decided to stop selling Lonsdale brand clothing because of the continual association being made between the clothing and right-wing extremists. The chain has ten stores in the Netherlands. The company indicated to news agency ANP on Thursday that it was angry at politicians and the media for constantly referring to a supposed link. In recent weeks, police chiefs have expressed alarm at the rise of right-wing extremists among young, native Dutch boys, who are referred to as ‘Lonsdale youth’. “We don’t want to stop selling Lonsdale [items] because it is not a racist brand, but Lonsdale is being stigmatised and so we have no choice,” the store said. Lonsdale clothing accounts for 10 percent of the chain’s turnover and the company claims that people of all races and colour wear the brand. Teenagers sporting Lonsdale clothes have been involved in recent weeks in confrontations with young people from the Muslim community. They are said to wear Lonsdale because the middle letters NSDA remind them of the NSDAP, Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist Party.

Six squatters held in Utrecht

Members of the specialist ME riot squad arrested at least six people during a major operation on Thursday to clear a squat on the Vredenburg in Utrecht. Some of the squatters chained themselves to the building in a bid to frustrate the clean out. About 80 officers were involved in the operation that began at 1.30pm.

Subject: Dutch news