Residents of Nieuw-Weerdinge started a collection campaign for the man who was convicted last Thursday for open violence against an asylum seeker in their village. In total, the initiators hope to raise an amount of 13,000 euros. The money is intended as a compensation for the legal costs incurred, just as possible future costs.
The court in Assen sentenced the 51-year-old man to 80 hours of community service and paying compensation of 400 euros. In October 2023 he caught a man of Algerian descent on the theft of 40 euros from a delivery van. In anticipation of the alarmed enforcement, which was not present in the village at that time, he tried to lead the Algerian towards a bench.
The asylum seeker made an flight attempt, on which several bystanders popped up. De Algerijn was kicked by four people several times and ended up in the hospital with bruises. The 51-year-old man indicated that he lighted the asylum seeker Pootje and that he hit his head. He thereby contributed to open violence, whereby it does not matter who did what.
The 51-year-old resident came into action through a report in a neighborhood app. The members of that app have launched the collection campaign, reports resident Jans Sassen. “The app was created by concerned residents,” he explains as one of the people involved.
Asylum seekers who run through Nieuw-Weerdinge between Emmen and the asylum seekers center in Ter Apel are monitored by the members. “We’ll see if they are going through firmly or are interested in other things.” Nieuw-Weerdinge has been burdened for years under nuisance from mainly Safeelanders. Theft, destruction and intimidation occur regularly. Normally the enforcement is alerted if things go wrong. But at that time it was not present in the village, according to Sassen.
Extra acid is, according to Sassen, is that the Public Prosecution Service dismissed the case in the summer of 2024, to be raised again later. “It leaves a taste in your mouth that you wash away with less than five liters of whiskey.” According to him and the other initiators, it is ‘unacceptable that someone is being punished in this way’. “The asylum seeker also goes free and the actual perpetrators remain unpunished.”
Despite everything, the 51-year-old man remains part of the BuurtApp. “He continues to pass on reports. But he doesn’t go after it anymore. He did have a tap to it.”
The collection campaign started yesterday. The counter is now at more than 2000 euros.