A 14-year-old boy was sentenced by the Rotterdam court to one year in juvenile detention and a PIJ measure, a form of youth involuntary psychiatric treatment for serious offenders, for fatally stabbing 13-year-old Joni in Schiedam in February. The killing took place during an argument.
A 14-year-old boy was sentenced by the Rotterdam court to one year in juvenile detention and a PIJ measure, a form of youth involuntary psychiatric treatment for serious offenders, for fatally stabbing 13-year-old Joni in Schiedam in February. The killing took place during an argument.
Joni was stabbed in the back and arm and died a few hours later. The court ruled that the case amounts to manslaughter. According to the verdict, the suspect had Joni come to his home before taking him to a wooded area. The deadly incident is believed to be connected to a failed street robbery on February 12, during which a 65-year-old woman was stabbed. Both Joni and the boy, then 13, were involved. Relatives suggest that Joni may have felt guilty or refused to take part in similar acts, triggering the fatal clash.
“With his actions, the suspect ended Joni’s life, a boy who still had his whole future ahead of him,” the court said on Tuesday. “The grief, the loss, and the impact on his family and friends are immeasurable.” The case had a strong public impact, including a silent march attended by hundreds of people to honor Joni’s memory.
At the hearing, the boy said he had acted in self-defense. Joni’s family strongly rejected this, accusing him of showing no empathy whatsoever.
One year is the longest detention possible in the Netherlands for offenders aged 12 to 15. The boy had also taken part in previous robberies in Schiedam’s Joppepad area, including a January 30 incident where a victim was shoved and assaulted. The PIJ measure initially runs for three years but can be extended. If, after his 18th birthday, he is still assessed as dangerous, it may be converted into regular TBS, the adult form of compulsory psychiatric treatment.
Psychological evaluations revealed that the boy has a “severe mental disorder” and developmental delays. The judge said these factors point to a high likelihood that he could re-offend.
The case was heard by a juvenile court and conducted behind closed doors because of the suspect’s age, so many details from the proceedings, including the specifics of the argument, were not released publicly.
