Suspect whose 17-year-old date drowned should be jailed for 3.5 years, prosecutor says

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) recommended a jail sentence of 3.5 years for 33-year-old Roy B. from Wernhout, Noord-Brabant. The OM told the Court of Appeals in The Hague that B. was responsible for the death of 17-year-old Orlando Boldewijn from Rotterdam because he did nothing to help after the boy had fallen into freezing cold water. Boldewijn died by drowning, and divers found his body eight days later.

B. arranged for a casual sex encounter with the victim on February 18, 2018, for which he apparently paid 20 euros. B. lived on a pontoon houseboat in the water near the Ypenburg neighborhood in The Hague. He picked Boldewijn up with his boat, and the two spent three hours together. Witnesses said that B. had been using drugs that night.

B. allegedly brought Boldewijn back to the shore after the date. It is believed that B. could not return home, because he had left his public transport chip card at B.'s home. Attempts to contact B. were made in vain.

It is unclear how Boldewijn ended up in the frigid water. B. did not use his right to speak in court despite appealing the lower court's conviction and sentencing. "I disagree with the whole verdict," he said. The District COurt sentenced him to 44 months in jail in 2020. B. was arrested two weeks ago in another case, this time on suspicion of grooming. After a few days, he was conditionally released from pre-trial detention.

The OM said there is proof that B. saw Boldewijn drowning. Earlier in the case, the suspect had contradicting stories, one of which was that he panicked and, therefore, did nothing to help and did not call the emergency number 1-1-2. "He could have saved him," the prosecutor claimed.

B. also did not speak up in the days following the death when search parties were organized to find the teen. Boldewijn's body was found around 16 meters away from B. pontoon boat at a depth of three meters.

By not doing anything, B. should be seen as having committed an assault with a fatal outcome, the OM said.

The case has taken an exceptionally long time due to the coronavirus pandemic and the departures and illness of several members of the court. The court chair apologized for the delay. "Incredibly painful for the relatives, and we are very sorry."

The court will issue its decision on March 19.