Victim support receives children after Alblasserdam incident

Victim Support Netherlands went to Alblasserdam on Friday with five employees to receive children and young adults who witnessed the shooting at the Tro Tardi care farm, a spokesperson reported. It concerns clients of the care farm, who “of course form an extra vulnerable target group”. The shooting, which took place around 11 a.m., killed two people and injured two others.

Day activities for both children and adults are offered on the care farm. These can be people with, for example, an intellectual disability, autism or Alzheimer’s. According to the spokesperson for Victim Support Netherlands, the children are supported through their parents. The parents then receive tips on how they can best offer their child safety again. “It is very important that they are back in their normal structure as soon as possible, for example going to the sports club.” According to the spokesperson, it is normal that children sometimes want to be in bed with their parents again. “And sometimes they mimic the event in their gaming behavior. That’s good for processing.”

Friday’s reception consisted of hearing from people who were affected in one way or another by the incident. “We also check whether people are cared for at home, for example by family members.” When the adrenaline drops, people can experience stress symptoms. Depending on the needs of people, a follow-up is initiated at Victim Support Netherlands. “In the majority, about 90 percent, most complaints are gone after five weeks.” The remainder is referred to the GP.

Suspect

The support for relatives of victims is very intensive, especially in the beginning, the spokesperson explains. It is also possible, for example, that these so-called case managers accompany relatives to court hearings if the suspect appears.

The police were able to arrest a 38-year-old man from Oud-Alblas soon after the shooting. According to several media, it concerns John S. He has been a client in the care farm and has a history of confused and nuisance behavior. On Friday afternoon it was announced that he is also suspected of involvement in the death of a 60-year-old man in Vlissingen earlier this week.