Everyone knew that something would go wrong at some point and this weekend it happened: a Nieuw-Weerdinger was arrested this weekend for assaulting an asylum seeker during a citizen’s arrest.
The fact that a vigilante group is active is because no progress has been made in tackling the nuisance around Ter Apel. Residents of the area no longer believe in a short-term solution. Vigilantes are active, who alert each other to suspicious circumstances and arrest asylum seekers and hand them over to the police.
If you catch someone red-handed, you are allowed to do so as a citizen, provided you do not use violence. Two men were arrested in Ter Apel in October for hitting and assaulting an asylum seeker during a citizen’s arrest in June. The Ter Apel vigilante group was also challenged by the judge in August about the use of tie-wraps.
The fact that residents think a vigilante is necessary says something about the situation around the registration center. What do you think, is it ridiculous that a vigilante is apparently needed in the Netherlands?
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