A 36-year-old man from Houten put two fellow passengers at Meppel on the train at the end of May with an injection needle. The victims were stabbed in their hand and leg.
Today, the man from Houten, who has been detained since the incident, had to prevent during an introductory session at the court in Assen. He admitted that he had done that, but how or why that happened was not clear to him. He was under the influence of drugs. The suspect is still being investigated by a psychiatrist about his psychological condition, also at the time of the event.
The Public Prosecution Service believes that the man can be charged at severe abuse.
There was no liquid in the needle, but the fear of an HIV infection was great among the victims. A blood test showed that that is not the case.
The suspect’s lawyer does not think that the chance of a serious abuse was present. Also not that the suspect had the intention to seriously injure someone. “At most, there is a mistreatment. In that case my client is now stuck for longer that is necessary,” says his lawyer.
The public prosecutor did not agree: “Sticking the needle went in a dynamic and uncontrolled way. Where was stabbed, the needle could have ended up everywhere.” He proposed to extend the suspect’s provisional detention by three months. But the judge supported the position of the counsel: “If you place it along the legal bar, there are insufficient serious objections to this.”
Apart from that, there are great worries, the judge said. It is not for nothing that the suspect still has to be investigated by a psychiatrist. “The facts for which you have been stuck are downright to.”
The suspect may await the further course of his criminal proceedings at home. It is not known when the case will be dealt with in terms of content.