‘Nicely stuck’
The 52-year-old Y.Ç. got into his employer’s car on October 4, 2023. Moments later, he deliberately drove into a then 73-year-old woman and her dog. Without caring about the seriously injured victim, he drove straight to the police station in Amersfoort. He gave himself up for that. According to police reports, he was extremely laconic and open about his motive.
Ç. said he wanted to be cared for by the state. “Yesterday I thought, I’m going to be stuck in jail. Let the police and the judiciary take care of me,” says the official report of his interrogation. “I had already packed my bag in advance and I thought I would grab the first one I see with the dog or walking. Cyclists are too difficult to hit.” The man explained that he had deliberately waited until the next morning. Then the chance of encountering someone with a dog was greater, he explained.
The public prosecutor asked for a prison sentence of 20 years. She said it was painful that Ç got his way, but she did not think demanding a lighter sentence was appropriate for what she described as an attempted murder. The court ultimately sentenced the man to 12 years in prison. The maximum penalty for attempted murder is rarely imposed, a spokesperson for the Central Netherlands court said when asked.