Two teenagers, aged 16 and 18, from Zuidlaren and Winschoten, were sentenced to sixty and eighty hours of community service for setting fire to restaurant De Rooie Kater in Zuidlaren. The eldest received the highest punishment, because he had also committed a theft.
The restaurant was completely destroyed by playing with fire on May 24, 2021. The judge accused both of them being unintentionally responsible for the fire by first playing with a burning candle. Then they sprayed paper and cardboard with deodorant and set it on fire. They later said they smelled a burning smell when they left.
playing with fire
The fire under the roof, with wooden chairs and tables, spread quickly. The boys later stated that others had also been at the restaurant. But this was debunked by a witness statement. The judge finds it more likely that the fire was caused by dangerous play with fire.
juvenile detention
The judge also took into account the personal circumstances of the boys and that they remained in line after the fire. To keep it that way, the judge also imposed conditional juvenile detention for two months. The punishment hardly deviates from the requirement of the Public Prosecution Service.