Overview
- The higher appeal of Fouad L., the man who killed three people in September 2023, began this week in Rotterdam as the court shifts focus from guilt to his motives and mental state.
- Forensic examiners including those who re‑assessed him during the appeal report a higher present risk of violence based in part on an incident in detention in Vught.
- The Pieter Baan Centrum previously diagnosed an autism‑spectrum disorder and recommended tbs with forced treatment, a measure that is reviewed regularly and can in practice lead to long-term secure care.
- The defence argues for a reduced prison term or immediate admission to secure tbs on the grounds of diminished responsibility, while the Public Prosecution Service insists on a long custodial sentence followed by tbs.
- Procedural dates are set: the prosecution will give its formal sentence demand on 23 November and the court plans to hand down its ruling on 16 December, a timetable that keeps victims' families waiting for closure.