The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has Tuesday On appeal, thirty years in prison and TBS with compulsory treatment demanded against Thijs H. (30) from Brunssum for committing three murders. The appeal mainly revolves around the question of whether H. was completely mentally insane at the time of the murders.
The Maastricht court concluded earlier that H. was under the influence of psychosis with reduced liability and sentenced him to eighteen years in prison and TBS — the Public Prosecution Service had demanded 24 years and TBS with compulsory treatment at the court. H. and his lawyers disagreed with the conviction and appealed. His lawyers argue that he acted completely under the influence of psychosis and therefore cannot be held responsible for the murders; instead they plead for manslaughter.
H. stabbed three hikers to death within a few days in 2019: a 56-year-old woman in the Scheveningse Bosjes near The Hague, a 63-year-old woman on the Brunssummerheide and a 68-year-old man from Heerlen. He is said to have been in a prolonged psychosis since the summer of 2018.
In his own words, H. was acting on behalf of “the system” at the time of the murders. It is unclear what he meant by this. Experts from the Pieter Baan Center say that he was completely mentally insane, but the Maastricht court did not agree.
Also read: ‘Psychotic Thijs H. also played a game’