Threats send Dutch prosecutor, mayor into hiding

A prosecutor from the Noord-Nederland Public Prosecution Service is in hiding due to serious threats made against her. She is investigating outlaw motorcycle club No Surrender, but it is not clear whether the threats came from the club, the Telegraaf reports.

Almost at the same time as this prosecutor, Emmen mayor Bouke Arends also went into hiding due to threats received after he closed a No Surrender club house. According to the Public Prosecutor, the mayor and prosecutor going into hiding does not necessarily mean that No Surrender is behind the threats.

The Public Prosecutor confirmed to NOS that a female prosecutor is in hiding due to threats, but would say nothing further about the matter. In general Gerrit van der Burg of the Public Prosecutor said to to the broadcaster: "People must stay away from prosecutors and their families. But that also applies to politicians and journalists. Only one reaction fits this type of threat: we take care of all possible security measures and tackle them with all our might."

Last year another prosecutor, Greetje Bos of the Zeeland-West-Brabant office, received extra security, also because of a death threat. A man from Sliedrecht was arrested because the authorities believed No Surrender leader Klaas Otto ordered him from prison to attack Bos. He later released because investigation did not confirm the suspicions against him.