Appeal starts on Dutch tourist's fatal beating in Mallorca; Court to rule on March 14

The appeal on the fatal assault of Carlo Heuvelman from Waddinxveen in Mallorca in 2021 started in the court in Leeuwarden on Tuesday. Seven young men are back in court over the nightlife violence on the Spanish island. The court set 11 days aside for the appeal and expects to rule on March 14.

Carlo Heuvelman (27) was assaulted on the boulevard of El Arenal during the early hours of July 14, 2021. He died in the hospital four days later. A lot of what happened remained unclear when this case was first tried.

What is clear is that the suspects are a group of friends from Hilversum who were celebrating the end of their school year in Mallorca. On July 14th, they clashed with another group of Dutch tourists in a club, resulting in several injuries. A short time later, the two groups of Dutch clashed again, ending with Heuvelman unconscious on the ground.

The next morning, the group of Hilversum teens, then 18 and 19 years old, caught a plane back to the Netherlands. Because the victim and perpetrators were all Dutch and the suspects had already fled back to the Netherlands, the Spanish police handed the investigation over to the Dutch authorities, who arrested nine young men.

Eight of them were ultimately convicted for the violence on the island that culminated in Heuvelman’s death. Sanil B. (21) was convicted of manslaughter based on Heuvelman’s DNA found on his shoe. The court sentenced him to seven years in prison. Four other suspects got 2.5 years in prison, and two others 1 and 1.5 years for assault and attempted manslaughter. One got community service, and one was acquitted.

The trial did not reveal who was responsible for Heuvelman’s death. The suspects refused to talk, and no useful camera footage was found of the fatal blows.

Sanil B. has “good hope” that the appeal will turn out better for him, his lawyer Peter Plasman told NH Nieuws. The young man still denies having anything to do with Heuvelman’s death.

The court set 11 days aside for the appeal, with the ruling scheduled for March 14, according to ANP.