Martijn den B. (50) from Assendelft has to spend 18 years behind bars for setting fire to his own home, in which his ex-wife and three sons were seriously injured. Their youngest son (14) eventually died of his injuries a few days later. The man was also convicted for years of embezzling money from his employer.
Was there (attempted) murder? That central question was answered in the affirmative by the court today. The court is not convinced that the father set fires with the aim of killing his family members in addition to committing suicide, but he did take that risk.
A week and a half before the fire, Den B. was suspended by his employer after he had embezzled about 2.4 million euros in 6.5 years. The suspect did not dare to confess this to his family and pretended that he was still working. His bank accounts, the house and the hair salon of his ex-partner were seized.
At the beginning of November, Den B. had to hand in his van to his employer. Knowing that he could no longer hide his resignation, he decided to set the house, with his family in it, on fire. The jeryy cans with petrol that he used for this, he had already stored in his home days before.
According to the court, the behavior of Martijn den B. just before the fire shows that he acted premeditated. He put a van away, which would be handed over to his employer, because the man was afraid that the bus would also catch fire.
Lifetime for family
According to the judge, only a very long prison sentence does sufficient justice to the suffering of his sons and ex-partner. ‘The suspect’s family has been terrified and lives with the serious consequences to this day. Relatives, local residents and aid workers were also deeply shocked. The family will have to learn to live with the harrowing realization that their own father and partner killed their brother and son.
The sentence given is six years less than the demand of the public prosecutor, who demanded 24 years in prison. The court decided that because ‘the public prosecutor did not take sufficient account of the person of the suspect’.
After observation at the Pieter Baan Center, a psychiatrist and psychologist established that Martijn den B. has certain disorders, but cannot comment on the degree of responsibility. ‘The facts seem to have arisen in an extreme situation, in which there was a threat of loss of all structure, safety and perspective, which led to feelings of despair and hopelessness.’
‘Irreparable suffering’
During the hearing, the father indicated that he was very sorry and that he would accept his sentence. “I don’t know what to say to ease the pain. Such untold suffering caused. Whether I was aware of it I do not know and it is irrelevant. I am very sorry, but when you say those words, it feels not nearly enough.”
According to the court, it appeared during the hearing that he suffers from the realization that his youngest son is dead as a result of his actions, and that he has caused his family irreparable suffering.
Martijn den B. also has to pay compensation to his family. His ex-partner will receive more than 262,000 euros. His two sons receive more than 31,000 and more than 40,000 euros. The father of the family was not present at the time of the verdict.