Overview
- Utrecht made 80 same-night arrests, a 58% jump on prior years, yet none of the suspects have been convicted and prosecutors confirm no use of snelrecht or supersnelrecht.
- The Public Prosecution Service says only a few straightforward cases are ready for the single-judge court, while complex riot files require time to assemble proof from witnesses and video.
- Legal scholar Joep van der Linden notes riot cases rarely meet fast‑track conditions because courts require complete dossiers and suspects must agree to accelerated hearings.
- Rotterdam’s mayor reports attacks on police and responders with molotovs, paving stones and fireworks, about €460,000 in municipal damage, 215 fire responses, and 24 fireworks eye injuries, mostly among minors.
- Local leaders are weighing a year‑round prevention and enforcement strategy that could include a national fireworks ban and a digital reporting obligation for known rioters, as investigations continue and more arrests are expected.