Teen gets 14 months in prison for fatally stabbing boy outside Hoorn school

A 17-year-old boy was convicted on Thursday for stabbing a 14-year-old boy at a school in Hoorn last year. The victim died in a hospital a few days later. The court sentenced the suspect to 14 months of juvenile detention, and mandatory psychiatric treatment in a juvenile facility.

The incident was the culmination in a running dispute between the two last October, who had been arguing about a clothing exchange. The victim wanted the suspect to return his pants, but the suspect refused, the court summarized.

The two then fought on October 24. Two days later, on the 26th, the suspect was waiting for the victim at the exit of his high school.

"After an exchange of words, the two boys got into a fight again. During the fight, the suspect stabbed the victim in the chest with a knife," the court said. The victim died from his injuries on October 30.

The court convicted the teen of manslaughter. "He took away the victim's future on a whim with the knifing." The court said this was particularly troubling, since the origin of the dispute was as mundane as a clothing swap.

"From the victim statements read by the victim's sister and mother during the hearing, it appears that the victim's family is having a hard time processing the far too early loss of their loved one," the court said.

The incident also had a "major impact" on the community connected with the school where the stabbing happened, a representative of the school said a day after the altercation. Students, teachers and staff where very shaken, and were offered aid from a victim support organization.

The suspect has an anxiety disorder and an intellectual disability, the court said. Because of this, he was considered somewhat less personally responsible for the slaying attributed to him.