Dutch news in brief – 17 May 2004

Maja murder suspect faces 15 years jail

The public prosecutor has demanded a 15-year jail term against Ferdi O., the second main suspect in the murder of Nijmegen school girl Maja Bradaric. The other main suspect, Goran M., faces 12 years and TBS psychiatric detention. The third suspect, Goran P., is facing six years in jail. Maja, 16, was killed on 17 November 2003 and her burning body found dumped near the eastern city Bemmel.

Half of Dutch households struggle financially

About one third of all Dutch households believe they are financially worse off now compared with five years ago and just over 50 percent (or 3.5 million households) have difficulty making ends meet. Research bureau NIBUD also said on Monday that households in the east of the country are worse off than those in other parts of the country.

Patients at risk from ‘dirty surgical instruments’

The instruments that surgeons use in operations are often inadequately cleaned or worn out, placing patients at unnecessary risk of infections or other complications, new research indicates. Hospital insurer Medirisk also said that equipment used in investigative surgery are often difficult to clean. Blood and body tissue from other patients can remain stuck on the equipment. It is suggested that 0.3 percent of patients are at risk of infection and a possible solution is using expensive, but disposable equipment.

Teenage boys arrested over rapes

Nijmegen police arrested on Saturday for boys aged 14 and 15 on suspicion of several rapes. The victims have been identified as two girls aged 13 and 14. The boys are accused of raping the girls between November 2003 and May 2004. The girls reported to police on Friday and Saturday and further arrests have not been ruled out. The suspects live in the Nijmegen suburb Malvert and all those involved in the case are reportedly in the same group of friends.

Bot meets with Yasser Arafat

Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Ben Bot met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Ramallah on Sunday. During the 45-minute meeting, Bot assured Arafat that the Netherlands will move to stimulate the stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians later this year. The Netherlands assumes the rotating European Union presidency in July.

Nurse fired after giving patient fatal medication

A nurse with the Waterland Hospital in Purmerend was fired at the end of April after it was revealed he deliberately accelerated the death of a patient. A hospital spokesman said the nurse admitted on 29 April that he had shortly beforehand voluntarily administered fatal medication to a terminally ill patient. This was despite the fact that an agreement between family and nurses had been reached stating that the patient should be allowed to die naturally. Under strict conditions, euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands. The death is under investigation.

Ukraine to host Eurovision 2005

Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Festival on Saturday night with a powerful number called Wild Dance. Out of 24 nations, the Dutch duo Re-union ended up in a disappointing 20th with its song Without You. The final of the 49th Eurovision was held in Istanbul, Turkey. Due to its success this year, Ukraine will host the event in Kiev next year. As it did this year, the Netherlands will have to qualify for the final via preliminary rounds again next year.

Subject: Dutch news