There is insufficient evidence to condemn a 40-year-old man from Hardenberg for mistreatment and hostage from his then partner in Emmen. For serious domestic violence, two weeks ago, a 180 -day prison sentence was demanded, 152 days conditional and a 160 -hour community service.
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) saw sufficient evidence that the man would have been guilty of several assaults of his girlfriend in his mother’s home. The couple stayed there from 31 October 2022 to 9 February 2023. Family of the woman Seinde entered the police, nothing had been heard of their daughter or sister for ages. There were serious worries. The agents found a vibrating woman who only spoke when she was taken alone. She reported.
She wasolated from her family, she said. She had to follow all the orders of her friend. She was only allowed to leave the house in his presence. And then look on and at the floor with a hood. Her sister saw a bruise in her neck when they last saw each other. In the phone’s phone was a photo of the woman, with a bruise on her leg. In her phone was a photo of a bruise on her arm.
The tricky thing in this case is that the woman’s statement is directly opposed to the denial of her now ex-partner. And there is insufficient support in other evidence. Witnesses who have explained something about this have all heard this say. And that is insufficient. The agents who found the woman in the house in Emmen saw no bruises with her. It is not known when the photos of the bruises were taken with the woman.
If the police have to go to the claimant’s story, there should be more injury in the photos, the judge thinks. The witnesses were heard a month after finding the complainant, while in the meantime they spoke to the woman. The judge does not find these witness statements usable for evidence.