https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/599556253/tramschutter-gokmen-t-levenslang-de-cel-in
Tram shooter Gökmen T. Life in prison
-Saskia Belleman: Today 14:
Utrecht: Tears flowed in the hearing room of the Utrecht court where a handful of victims and their family members heard the sentence of life imprisonment for tram shooter, Gökmen T. (38).
That, according to an audibly cold court president, Ruud Veldhuisen, is the only suitable punishment for Gökmen T., who on March 18 last year, "sowed death and destruction" on a tram at October 24th Square.
The court: "With no other goal that to take lives, Gökmen T. stepped on the tram that day like a normal passenger. He then drew a pistol by which he shot in cold blood at unsuspecting passengers with calls to his god, Allah. Not once, but several times over the course of two minutes."
The court spoke of "horrifying acts" by Gökmen T., which he justified by reducing his reality to an
unreal rectilinear ""we" vs "you" (pl): We Muslims are being destroyed worldwide by you Democrats. That was the finish for him.
The experts in the Pieter Baan Center who examined him, think that his acts did not come from a deeply-felt belief, but rather out of frustration over a failed life. The court: "Radicalizing and embracing extremist views as an unconscious strategy of dealing with problems and setbacks in his life."
Caption below picture: In one of the court hearings, Gökmen T. spits at his defense lawyer, Andre Seebregts
Illustration: Petra Urban
The court accepts the conclusions of the experts as to personality disorders and diminished accountability. But it estimates the danger of recurrence much higher than do the experts.
Despite his diminished accountability, the court finds that a temporary prison sentence in combination with compulsory TBS treatment does not do justice to the actions of GökmenT. Life imprisonment is the only option from the point of view of punishment and security of society. Moreover, the court wants to send a clear signal to others who might intend to carry out this type of attacks. Then this is what follows: Life imprisonment. "That his crimes can be attributed to Gökmen T. in a lesser degree doesn't change this judgment," said the court.
The suspect was not present for the sentence due to the Corona crisis, and only 8 victims and family members were allowed to be seated in the room, but the judgment could be followed by all via livestream.
The lawyers for the victims and family members reacted with relief and satisfaction to the verdict. The tram shooter's attorney, Andre Seebregts, only wanted to say that he will consult with the dean of the bar association as to whether a higher appeal should be filed. The counsel had argued for a prison sentence in combination with treatment. Gökmen T. himself wanted no legal assistance and even spat at his lawyer during a hearing.
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