20 years for elderly Hague woman's brutal murder

On Tuesday the court in The Hague sentenced a 44-year-old man to 20 years in prison for brutally robbing and murdering 85-year-old Ans van der Meer from The Hague in 2017. His 35-year-old partner was sentenced to nine months in prison for laundering the loot, NU.nl reports.

Friends found the elderly woman dead in her flat in Loosduinen in June 2017. She had been severely beaten. Her sternum was broken, as was her thoracic vertebra, nine ribs and nose. The woman died from suffocation.

The police found the two suspects based on surveillance camera footage showing them withdrawing money with the victim's bank card a few hours after her murder. In addition to the bank cards, they also stole jewelry and watches.

The Public Prosecutor demanded 16 years in prison against both suspects. According to the Prosecutor, the suspects used the money stolen from their elderly victim to go on holiday.