Lifelong imprisonment faces a 35-year-old former medical student on trial for three murders in Rotterdam, after judges previously handed down the maximum penalty for shootings that left a neighbor, her daughter, and a university instructor dead.
Fouad L. told the security court in Rotterdam on Thursday that he feels no responsibility or regret for the September 28, 2023, attacks, according to The Telegraaf. The suspect shot 14-year-old neighbor Romy and her 39-year-old mother Marlous before driving to the Erasmus Medical Center to kill 43-year-old instructor Jurgen Damen, The Telegraaf reported.
The appeal proceedings at the court in Rotterdam are scheduled to span six days, according to NRC – News, background and investigative journalism. Judges and prosecutors spent the opening session questioning the defendant about his mental state and the events of 2023.
“I look like I am an actor in a movie. The villain. I have the feeling that it isn’t real, but I know that it happened,” said Fouad L., [suspect], according to The Telegraaf.
The advocate-general questioned whether the defendant’s detached demeanor was merely a calculated courtroom strategy rather than genuine dissociation, The Telegraaf reported. The suspect rejected that assessment as unfair.
Crime Maaike Timmerman said that the defendant’s intellectual capacity and methodical preparation stood out during the initial legal proceedings, according to WNL. Experts diagnosed L. with an autism spectrum disorder and a dissociative disorder, though the initial court deemed him legally accountable for his actions, WNL reported.
“This is a very intelligent man. Otherwise, you wouldn’t manage to nearly finish such a study.” said Maaike Timmerman, [crime journalist].
The Public Prosecution Service previously demanded a 30-year prison sentence combined with compulsory psychiatric detention, known as tbs, before the initial court opted for a life sentence instead, The Telegraaf reported. Both the defense and the prosecution appealed that verdict.
Prosecutors indicated they will again demand a prison sentence coupled with compulsory psychiatric care during the appeal hearings, asserting that releasing the defendant without treatment is unsafe, The Telegraaf reported. Relatives of the victims are scheduled to deliver victim impact statements next week as the trial continues, The Telegraaf reported.
The Public Prosecution Service will present its new sentencing demand on November 23, and the court will deliver its final ruling on December 16, according to WNL.