Prosecutor demands prison time for politician's, sister's murder

The Public Prosecutor again demanded prison time in the appeal case against Bart van U., who was convicted last year for killing politician Els Borst and his sister Lois. Van U. was sentenced to institutionalized psychiatric care, but the Public Prosecutor believes that prison time is appropriate, NU.nl reports. 

In April 2016 the court ruled that Van U. is not accountable for his crimes because he suffers from a severe mental disorder. The court therefore only imposed institutionalized psychiatric care.

But the Prosecutor disagrees. During the appeal trial in the court in The Hague on Friday, the Public Prosecutor again demanded 8 years in prison and institutionalized psychiatric care. The Prosecutor also added another 6 months in prison for illegal weapons possession. "Insanity does not mean that someone can not act according to a plan", the Prosecutor said. The Prosecutor wants Van U. to be found guilty of manslaughter.

In the appeal trial the most important question is again whether Van U. can be held accountable for killing his sister and Els Borst by stabbing them dozens of times. Bart van U. confessed to killing his sister in their home in Rotterdam in January 2015 and former Minister Els Borst in her home in Bilthoven in February 2014. According to Van U., Lois bullied him for his entire life and he decided to kill her when she offered him a cookie she knew he doesn't like. And with Minister Borst, he was on a divine mission to kill those responsible for the euthanasia law.

On Wednesday four experts, including psychiatrists from the Pieter Baan Center, told the court that Van U. suffers from a chronic psychosis. Some situations are more strongly controlled by the psychosis than others, they said. Van U. also tends to "afterwards tell things that did not happen in that way, but that he colored in that light". This is often done to justify his behavior.