Two officers from The Hague who almost three years ago on the Malieveld in The Hague with great force and the use of a police dog arrested a man who was demonstrating against the corona measures, will have to finally answer before the criminal court on suspicion of assault. The Public Prosecution Service in The Hague has decided this.
On March 14, 2021, a demonstration against the corona measures was held on the Malieveld. Initially it went smoothly. Music was made and dancing. But demonstrators did not adhere to the corona rules, after which Mayor Jan van Zanen decided to disband the demonstration.
A large group of demonstrators did not respond to the riot police’s call to leave the field. They formed a line and chanted slogans such as ‘love, freedom, no dictatorship’. When the police advanced, many of them sat down on the ground and punches were thrown.
The police repeatedly called for the demonstrators to leave the Malieveld. Most demonstrators did not respond. The police then proceeded with the forced evacuation of the Malieveld.
Jumper cable
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the violence used by the police was largely lawful. The Public Prosecution Service wants to submit only one arrest, involving two police officers, to the judge. It concerns a dog handler who wanted to arrest a man using his service dog. He also used the baton. The man was arrested for allegedly throwing a jumper cable at the police.
A nearby riot police officer also used his baton on the demonstrator who had fallen and grabbed the police dog by the ears. The man suffered injuries for which he was treated in hospital. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the force used by these two police officers was disproportionate.
The prosecution had already been announced by the judiciary, but the criminal case was delayed because the officers’ lawyers filed an objection to the summons. Additional witness hearings were requested and granted in 2022.
Violence instruction
The case had previously been brought before the Hague court, but after additional investigation, the officers will now be summoned before the so-called Blue Chamber of the Central Netherlands court. The case will now be scheduled for a hearing there.
The Blue Chamber handles all cases of investigating officers who are prosecuted in the Netherlands for violating the use of force instructions. The maximum penalty is three years in prison. So far, three officers have been tried by this court. Yesterday, the Public Prosecution Service in Rotterdam announced that it would prosecute eight officers for their role during the heavy-handed arrest of a 32-year-old man on Friday, June 9, 2023 in Rotterdam. The man died shortly after that arrest. It has never happened before that such a large number of officers are simultaneously prosecuted for unlawfully exercising their police duties.
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