According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), Amstelveen Josef M. (23) must be admitted to a TBS clinic for a maximum of four years. He is said to have stalked a friend from Badhoevedorp for whom he had feelings. His lawyer calls the demand disproportionate.
The Badhoevedorper ended his friendship with Josef in October 2022. It felt to the victim and his family as if Josef did not accept this.
Josef allegedly harassed his friend with numerous messages and anonymous phone calls in the period from October 1, 2022 to March 27, 2023, stood near his home and entered without permission. He had a weapon with him at the time, which he used on himself.
Josef confirmed this today in the court in Haarlem. “I had a hyperfocus on the victim, which meant I no longer really listened to those around me,” he says. “I hoped that a conversation would come out of it, that a friendship would come out of it.”
“I was in love with him”
The two men knew each other from high school, since seventh grade. In 2022 they went out together, for example to festivals. “I was in love with him,” Josef admits. “Feelings did play a role in wanting to be with him, but I mainly wanted to continue the friendship.”
Josef realized in 2022 that things could no longer continue like this. He went to the doctor, was put on a waiting list and started treatment. But he was told that they could not help him with his complaints, and he was subsequently put on an even longer waiting list elsewhere.
“I asked the doctor to be admitted,” says Josef about his request for help. “But I didn’t get a referral.” While he was still waiting for help, he was arrested by the police.
Hyper focus
He has now been in prison for nine months. There he receives psychological guidance and medication. The psychologist and psychiatrist diagnosed him with autism spectrum disorder and depression. They describe in their report that Josef has a tendency to focus very much on one thing.
Josef himself describes this as hyperfocus. He also seemed to develop such a focus for fellow detainees and that is why he was transferred to another location. In addition, he has already received a suspended sentence for a similar stalking case.
The psychologist and psychiatrist recommend that Josef be admitted to a clinic so that they can observe him there and talk to him. By gaining a better insight into his personality and teaching him certain skills, they hope to prevent Josef from making the same mistake again.
“Please Stop It”
“Please stop it,” the Public Prosecutor tells Josef about the stalking. He requests that you follow the advice of the psychologist and psychiatrist, especially because Josef has previously received outpatient treatment. That didn’t work then, the officer concludes.
Compulsory nursing
The officer demands TBS with compulsory treatment for a maximum of four years. “This is probably completely necessary,” he says. The judge will decide after two years whether an extension is necessary. In addition, the Public Prosecutor demands ten months’ imprisonment minus the nine months that Josef has already spent in pre-trial detention.
Josef’s lawyer calls that demand disproportionate. She suggests a prison sentence of up to nine months with conditions. The pre-trial detention would be deducted from this, leaving Josef free.
“Autism cannot be treated”
She emphasizes that Josef did not use violence against the victim and that he was not diagnosed with a personality disorder but with autism. “Autism cannot be treated,” she says, referring to the psychological report. “That’s how he is. Only the symptoms themselves can be treated.”
That doesn’t mean Josef doesn’t want help. On the contrary, he wants to fully cooperate with treatment. The lawyer emphasizes that her client had already raised the alarm with his GP months before his arrest. “If the client could go there, we might not be here.”
Meanwhile, Josef sits with his hands folded. “I regret that I caused suffering to the victims and that I dragged them along,” he emphasizes once again.
The judge will make a ruling in two weeks.