Dutch news in brief, 29 May 2006

Two hurt in shooting

Two men were wounded during a shooting in the centre of the Schagen in Noord Holland Province on Saturday night. An Amsterdam man, 21, was taken to hospital with a leg wound. A man, 26, from Hoorn, was shot in the head and underwent surgery on Sunday. The shooting began as several men were arguing near a parked car. Drunken members of the public tried to hinder the police. A 25-year-old man from Alkmaar was arrested after a stone was thrown at police. A second man from Alkmaar was bitten in the chest and hand by a police dog as he tried to interfere with the investigation.

Man find EUR 100,000 in street

A 49-year-old man found EUR 100,000 cash in a plastic bag on the street in the Brabant town of Ulvenhout on Wednesday. He handed the money into the police station at Breda. Police suspect the money is the proceeds of crime. The man who found the money will be allowed to keep it if the owner does not come forward within a year.

Madeleine Albright coming to Netherlands

Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is coming to Amsterdam next month for the launch of the Dutch translation of her new book ‘The Might and the Almighty’. Albright will discuss the thorny subject of the role of faith in international relations. Albright rejects the notion of a “clash of civilizations” and calls for America to take a nuanced approach to international confrontations. The event on 17 June is being hosted by the John Adams Institute and publishers Anthos/Manteau. Click here for more information.

Girl stabs senior citizen

Police in Breda launched a major search on Saturday for an unidentified girl after a woman, 71, was stabbed in the back with a knife on the street. The woman was taken to hospital but her wound was said not to be life threatening. Police had not questioned her by Sunday afternoon. A search of the neighbourhood was carried out and for the first time an SMS alert was sent to all mobile phones in the area to ask for the public’s help in solving the crime.

Lightening disrupts trains

Lightening strikes on Monday caused delays at various points along the rail network. Network manager ProRail said there were no services operating in the morning on the lines serving Nijmegen-Venlo, Groningen-Nieuweschans, Venlo-Roermond and Reuver-Tegelen.

92-year-old woman sexually abused

Police in the central Dutch city of Amersfoort arrested an 18-year-old youth on 19 May on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 92-year-old woman. The abuse allegedly took place in the care home where the teen worked. The woman raised the alarm immediately after the incident and she was taken to a hospital. The suspect remains in custody.

Subject: Dutch news