Teen boy in jail after WhatsApp threats against girl, 13

A 15-year-old boy from Terneuzen was arrested on Saturday for threatening a 13-year-old girl via Whatsapp.

A press release from police issued yesterday did not reveal the nature of the threats. The girl from Huizen however felt so intimidated by the boy’s threats that she had gone to the police station and filed a complaint.

The boy was caught in the act, arrested and interrogated in the presence of a prosecutor and then allowed to return home.

In a press release issued on Sunday, police warn that threats and stalking are considered crimes against personal freedom and are therefore punishable by law. “Threats via social media appear less serious, but they often have a larger impact on the receiver,” the release stated. It stressed furthermore that even when a threat is made via social media, it remains a punishable act. “A young suspect also runs the risk that he will have to appear in front of a judge and thus receive a police record.”