The 16-year-old boy who shot a teenager from Oss is likely to face years in prison. This is what former criminal lawyer Pieter van der Kruijs said after the boy was arrested. The boy is suspected of attempted murder. “He is only sixteen, but there is a good chance that he will be treated like an adult,” says Van der Kruijs.
Two weeks ago, the suspect shot a 15-year-old boy from Oss in the back with a gun out of nowhere. The boy was seriously injured and was hospitalized for a while. The perpetrator was on the run all this time, but on Thursday he turned himself in at the police station in his hometown of Heerhugowaard.
“Attempted murder carries a 20-year prison sentence.”
The criminal lawyer understands well that he is suspected of attempted murder. “He put a firearm in his pocket beforehand and started cycling around with it in a place where he doesn’t even live. It looks quite prepared, so I understand that suspicion.”
Although the boy is only sixteen years old, Van der Kruijs thinks he will spend quite a few years in prison. “If the juvenile criminal law is applied, the sentence is a maximum of two years,” the retired lawyer explains. “But it is such a serious offense that there is a good chance that he will be treated as an adult. This is possible from the age of 16. Then attempted murder carries a 20-year prison sentence.”
“Reporting yourself does not automatically mean that you will receive a reduced sentence.”
It is also possible that juvenile criminal law is applied, for example if it turns out that the boy has a disorder. “A psychiatrist or psychologist must determine whether there is more going on. How else do you get a firearm and decide to just shoot someone?” says Van der Kruijs. “If he indeed has a disorder, he could be compulsorily admitted to an institution. That takes 3 to 7 years.”
According to Van der Kruijs, the fact that the boy reported himself to the police cannot be a reason for a reduced sentence. “We are a few weeks further. CCTV footage was broadcast on TV and people were looking for him all day. That boy no longer has a life, so I understand why he reports. But that does not automatically mean that you will receive a reduced sentence.”
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