The moment Fouad L. hears that the Examination Committee of Erasmus University does not give him a diploma, something breaks. And a “very terrible plan” relaxes in the head of the medical student. “Everyone who had ever looked at me wrong had to go. A lot of people had to die. ”
What would give him that? “Nothing,” the suspect replies the judge. A few relatives visibly abandon the room.
On September 28, 2023, L. will export his plan. He shoots neighbor Marlous (39) and her daughter Romy (14) in their home on Heiman Dullaertplein in the Delfshaven district, after which both die. The shooter then leaves for Erasmus MC, where he shoots a doctor and teacher Jurgen Damen during a lecture.
Sixteen months after the fatal shooting incidents that a shock wave made through Rotterdam, the substantive treatment of the case against Fouad L. started on Monday. He is suspected of triple murder. On the first session day – a total of five this week – it is mainly about the personal circumstances of the suspect. The room is filled with counselors, family and journalists until the last chair.
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Revenge
The 33-year-old suspect-curly mustache, black hair, white turtleneck-is convinced that he could have become a “great doctor”. He describes himself as “caring person.” “It all went very wrong.”
After L. was ten minutes late for class, the problems arose. Later he is suspended twice. “Incomprehensible and illogical,” he says. The university decided that L. first had to undergo a psychological examination before he got a bull. This after a warning from the OM that L. would have shown psychotic behavior.
I understand that I am indeed guilty and logically responsible, but I don’t feel it
He was also previously convicted of animal abuse. Among others, neighbor Marlous had arranged L. by the bell.
The suspensions and the problems with the diploma release a “extreme, uncontrollable anger”. “While I had the best of intentions, I was tortured to death,” said L. “The Erasmus MC has made a kind of Frankenstein’s monster of mine.”
Feelings of revenge brought him to his actions, which he meticulously prepared. “First I had a wait -and -see attitude, but for example by buying the guidelers [voor op een handwapen, om beter te kunnen richten] it became increasingly concrete. First it was a nice fantasy, a dark fantasy. Then it really became. “
Revolver
During the community service, for mistreating his rabbit, L. came into contact with someone from “the criminal circuit.” From March 2023 he purchased three handfather weapons from March 2023. It concerned two Glock pistols and an old revolver from 1939. “A nice toy,” he lets himself down over the latter, while the relatives look behind him.
L. tried to respond to questions from the court why he had chosen these victims. Often that was difficult. He shot Romy in the corridor with two bullets, just because she opened the door. Furthermore, her death, he says without showing emotion, “no meaning.”
Did he not realize that he ended human lives? “It was purely procedural. Not much was about in my head. “
First it was a nice fantasy, a dark fantasy. Then it really became
L. sees himself only as a performer. He said he negotiated with an imaginary conversation partner to weaken the plan, so that fewer victims would fall. “In that negotiation with myself, the plan was minimized and that plan eventually became. I agreed with myself. “
“It seems as if you are placing the responsibility outside of yourself,” the judge notes. “As if it is something that would happen to you.”
“I also feel that distance,” L. replies “I understand that I am indeed guilty and logically responsible, but I don’t feel it.” Performing his final plan was “a mission.”
A sigh of bewilderment goes through the room when he says that he “has a positive feeling about himself, about what happened on that day. “I have prevented worse. I had nothing to say, I was aware of that. It was like performing a recipe. A script had to be done, it was that simple. “
Disorder
Fouad L. stayed in the Pieter Baan Center (PBC), the behavioral expert Observation Clinic of Justice for eleven weeks. Among other things, experts found an autistic disorder. They consider L. reduced imputable and advise TBS with compulsory treatment.
According to the PBC, L., partly due to that disorder, ended up in a “trap of anger, alcohol abuse and mood swings”. His thinking was disturbed, but he had no delusions or hallucinations, according to the experts. In conversations with the PBC, L. spoke of “a conspiracy not to give him a diploma,” said the psychologist.
“Do you think you deserve punishment?” The judge asks.
For a moment L. remains silent. And then he says: “People who kill other people must in principle be punished. But it just doesn’t feel like I actively chose this. “
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