On Sunday morning, December 15, 2024, a fireworks bomb was detonated at a house on Maasstraat. The explosion caused a huge sea of flames.
The affected house was occupied by a mother and two children. One of them, 16-year-old Joey, was seriously injured. Several houses in the block were badly damaged and turned out to be uninhabitable. It was their neighbor who set the family on fire managed to save.
At the site of the explosion, remains of the explosive were found: six Super Cobras and six liter bottles of gasoline.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, it is clear that the two boys are responsible for placing this fireworks bomb. This was evident from various camera images, Snapchat messages, statements made and mapped walking routes.
The boys would receive 3,500 euros for the assignment. “An amount that pales in comparison to the damage that has occurred and the consequences for the victims. They did not know the victims and were only guided by money, without considering the serious consequences of their actions,” the court writes in the ruling.
‘Defective development’
According to the court, both boys have ‘deficient development of their mental faculties’ and are mentally retarded.
The court considers it important that the suspects receive the assistance and guidance they need for their problems. In this way, the court wants to reduce the risk of repetition by committing new criminal offenses as much as possible.
That is why the suspects do not have to go back to prison, but they are given mandatory assistance and guidance. If they do not cooperate, they will still have to serve their sentence.
They must also pay compensation to the victims, including more than 135,000 euros to the victim who suffered severe burns.