A 27-year-old former world kickboxing champion from Schijndel assaulted two officials from the municipality of Meierijstad. That happened on November 1 last year in the town hall in Veghel. An official suffered serious injuries, including a severe concussion, a bruised jaw and a cut to her face. “She was punched in a boxing position,” an official said.
In court, the former world champion was sentenced to 150 hours of community service for attempted serious assault. She must also pay damages of 2,000 euros. And if she makes the same mistake again, she will have to go to prison for two months. “It’s a lenient sentence,” the judge said.
The woman had an appointment with the municipality because of her social assistance benefit, there was alleged fraud, which meant that the benefit could be stopped and money would have to be repaid.
“We had already had several arguments on the phone beforehand,” Schijndelse said in court. There is also increasing tension during the conversation at the town hall, the 27-year-old woman explains. “They were both talking to me, I didn’t know who to answer anymore.”
One of the civil servants is a social investigator at the municipality of Meierijstad. “Suddenly I get a blow on my cheek and the back of my head,” the victim told the police. “My head starts to feel light and I press the panic button.” The civil servant falls unconscious to the floor under the desk.
The other official, just like the suspect, talks about a grim conversation. “I indicated what the possible consequences were. That the benefit could be stopped and that money would then have to be repaid. Suddenly coffee flies over the desk and my colleague is attacked, she is punched in a boxing position.” The civil servant tries to protect her colleague and is also beaten.
In the hospital, the social investigator appears to have suffered a severe concussion, a bruised jaw and a cut on the face. The official’s glasses were also broken due to the assault. Two and a half months later, she is still unable to work or exercise due to full-body pain and anxiety.
According to the former world champion, the story is slightly different, the social investigator started pointing at her. “I asked for that to stop. She doesn’t stop and suddenly I get a finger in my face. And then I hit her hand away.”
The woman states that the two employees came towards her and that she was kicked. A struggle ensued because the arms of the suspect and the officer were linked. According to the 27-year-old woman, it was chaos and she doesn’t remember everything. Her lawyer talks about emergency defense.
There had been tension between her and the municipality for some time. The former world champion wants a place at the caravan camp in Sint-Oedenrode, but the municipality makes that impossible for her. According to the lawyer, she feels treated like a criminal and is not taken seriously by the municipality of Meierijstad and the mayor.
The municipality of Meierijstad did not actually want media attention for this case because ‘the assault did not take place in a public space’. To the dismay of an employee who sent an anonymous letter to Omroep Brabant.
“I find it remarkable that the municipality has chosen not to release anything about this, especially at this time. Would something have been done differently if an alderman or mayor had been abused?” the anonymous official wrote.