"Finally justice", survivors respond to ruling on 2011 mall shooting

The fact that the court in The Hague ruled that the police are partly liable for a mass shooting in the Ridderhof shopping center in Alphen aan den Rijn in 2011, is an important "victory" for the victims, one of the survivors Adem Aksoy said to RTL Nieuws. "Finally justice."

Aksoy was shot in the stomach when 24-year-old Tristan van der Vlis opened fire in the shopping center on April 9th, 2011. Six people were killed and 16 injured before Van der Vlis committed suicide. A number of survivors, surviving relatives, and shop owners held the police responsible for the damages. According to them, the police should never have given Van der Vlis a gun license given his psychological problems and suicidal tendencies.

On Tuesday the appeals court in The Hague ruled that the police can be held liable for personal injury- and death damages.

"This is very important", Aksoy said to RTL Nieuws. "We've always said that the boy is not the only guilty one, other parties made mistakes. It is only a pity that this took seven years." According to him, this 'victory' will help survivors and surviving relatives move a bit further with the processing of what happened. 

The amount of compensation that they are entitled to has not yet been determined. For Aksoy it doesn't matter much. "It is nice that we are entitled to it, but justice is the most important thing."