Man gets prison, treatment for threatening Crown Princess

A 32-year-old man from Zwolle was sentenced to 3 months in prison and institutionalized psychiatric treatment by the court in Overijssel for threatening princess Amalia and one of her friends. The court considered it proven that the man sent multiple threatening messages to the Instagram accounts of the princess and her friend and that the two teenagers were aware of the threats.

The threatening messages were sent to Amalia and her friend earlier this year. The man threatened to assault, rape and kill the princess, saying that he would come to their school to do so. He also tried to provide a theater performance for the princess at school, the court said.

The man claimed that he did not know the Instagram account he was messaging was really Amalia's private account. The court finds this implausible, as the man's internet search history showed that he extensively searched for the princess' private account.

According to the court, the man developed an unhealthy obsession with the royal family and he is dealing with it in a "worrisome", "very unpleasant" and "unacceptable" way. In 2017, the man was also arrested at the royal family's former home. He claimed to have an appointment with Amalia, and asked questions about the security cameras and Amalia's cycling route.

The man has been diagnosed with various mental health disorders and is therefore not completely accountable. Due to the severity of his mental health problems, and the high risk of recidivism, the court considered it necessary to sentence the man to institutionalized treatment. The treatment is imposed for a maximum of 4 years.

In determining the prison sentence, the court looked at sentences imposed in similar cases in the past.