Defense did not act in accordance with the applicable standards for years. This is the conclusion of the independent committee that investigated the mortar accident in Mali in 2016 in which two soldiers from the Johan Willem Friso Barracks in Assen were killed.
The two soldiers who died are Henry Hoving (29) and Kevin Roggeveld (24). A third soldier was seriously injured.
The committee led by Peter den Oudsten looked specifically at whether individual negligent and/or culpable actions led to the mortar accident. There was mainly negligent conduct, but in three cases also culpable conduct.
Outgoing Minister of Defense Ruben Brekelmans (VVD) will examine whether this should have legal consequences for employees.
The relatives are happy that “the truth has finally emerged,” Jennifer Schouten said during the presentation of the report. She is the widow of the deceased soldier Hoving. Just like the committee, she criticizes the ministry. “Relatives often felt not taken seriously.”
The Dutch Safety Board (OVV) previously also ruled that Defense had seriously failed in this case. A year after the accident, the OVV wrote that the safety of the grenades and medical care were not in order during the mission in Mali.
According to the Den Oudsten committee, missionary pressure and the erosion of the organization due to cutbacks led to “deviations from its own standards and the emergence of risky patterns”. The top of the ministry was not aware of this.
In the recommendations, the committee also states that Defense must deal better with injured soldiers and with relatives of fallen soldiers. According to Den Oudsten, the department’s “listening ability” must be improved. Then relatives will no longer have the feeling that they are not being taken seriously.