Two teenagers aged 18 and 19 from Emmen have been sentenced to 200 hours of community service for arson, of which 120 hours are conditional. Both set fire to a car and a camper in their home town last year in August.
The car was parked in the parking lot of a supermarket on Noordbargerstraat. Shortly afterwards a report was received of a second fire at the Meerveld. A camper was on fire there. The car burned completely and the camper was seriously damaged at the front.
Gasoline was used for the arson. It had recently been purchased at a gas station. The teenagers were clearly visible on the camera images. The boy admitted that they had bought a jerry can and gasoline to start a fire.
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) demanded juvenile detention for up to 109 days, of which 90 days were conditional. An 80-hour community service order was also required.
The judge finds that the car fire did not pose a danger to the environment. The car was parked in a parking lot far from everything. Public violence against property has been proven in this case. This carries slightly lower penalties.
The camper was parked close to a shed. This fire could have spread to other buildings. Moreover, the teenagers had not previously been convicted.
The youngest suffers from disorders that reduce his accountability. The eldest has got his life back on track and is going to school. The judge therefore does not consider a conditional juvenile detention necessary.