Boy’s murder by father was “unpreventable” claims mental care facility

The murder of 12-year-ld Bekiro by his father in Arnhem in December last year could not have been prevented, the municipality of Arnhem and municipal mental health institution Pro Persona said after independent investigation into the event, Omroep Gelderland reports.

On December 22 last year, Bekiro's father killed him with a sword. Tevfik G. was sentenced to institutionalized psychiatric treatment for his son's death. In the ruling earlier this year, the court adopted the advice of mental health experts that the man was in a complete psychosis when he attacked his son and should be treated not jailed.

At the time of the boy's murder, G. was being treated by Pro Persona. The municipality and the mental health institution asked local safety office Veiligheidsregio Gelderland-Midden and the institute for safety and crisis management COT to investigate the boy's death and everything that led up to it.

The investigations showed that the boy's death could no have been prevented, the municipality and Pro Persona announced on Friday. Care providers could not have acted differently, because they had no indications that such a dramatic event could occur, the researchers found.

"After something drastic like this you have to examine yourself. Did we overlook something and should we have done something differently?" Piet van der Zandt, director of Pro Persona in Arnhem said, according to the broadcaster. "The fact that the researchers concluded that the aid was appropriate, naturally does not alleviate the suffering of the family. But it is good that this dramatic event has been thoroughly evaluated."

Mayor Ahmed Marcouch of Arnhem called Bekiro's death a "great loss and drama for the family and those involved", according to Omroep Gelderland. "This terrible event was almost a year ago, but Bekiro's loved ones still have to miss him every day", the mayor said. "The conclusions of the study do not change anything for the family and loved ones. I can only hope that they will find a way to deal with this loss."