Suspect in Joos killing faces 7-year jail sentence

11 March 2004

AMSTERDAM — A young man accused of leading the attack in which drug addict Anja Joos was killed outside an Amsterdam supermarket faces prosecution demands for a seven-year sentence.

M. G., 19, and a co-accused S. B., who is a juvenile, have been charged with manslaughter the Public Prosecutor’s office (OM) told a preliminary court hearing in Amsterdam Thursday. The OM wants S. B. jailed for three years.

Six other young men face charges of violence disorder and the OM asked for 12-month jail terms in their cases.

The prosecutor took the opportunity to refute suggestions in the media that the case against the eight was weak and that there was little forensic evidence to link them to the death of Joos, 42.

While there were few body fibres from Joos found on the suspects, the prosecutor said, there was the evidence of the autopsy and statements from eyewitnesses.

German-born Joos, 43, was kicked to death outside an Amsterdam supermarket on 6 October 2003 after initially being suspected by staff of stealing a can of beer.

Despite proving her innocence, a violent confrontation developed after Joos made racist remarks and she was beaten to death. Several people witnessed the assault.

The HIV-positive former prostitute was buried in Amsterdam on Friday 17 October.

The case, which involved defendants from a Moroccan background, caused great unrest in Amsterdam and helped to focus concerns on “ethnic violence”.

The mere fact that a person could be killed for making rude, albeit racist, remarks also shocked the country. It was suggested at the time that Joos had also made derogatory remarks about Moroccans on previous occasions.

Subject: Dutch news