Asylum seeker killed in Hague assault; Suspects still at large
The 23-year-old man who was beaten to death on the Plein in The Hague early on Sunday was from Somalia and lived in an asylum center in Heerhugowaard, the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) confirmed. The police are looking for eight men suspected of involvement in the fatal assault.
The emergency services received the first report of an assault on the Plein at 00:50 a.m. on Sunday. First responders found the critically injured 23-year-old at the scene. They rushed him to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries later on Sunday morning.
The police are looking for eight men with light complexions between the ages of 18 and 35 years old. The police think that the victim and a friend were walking along Lange Poten when they got into an argument with the suspects. The Somalian man was then assaulted on the Plein, in full view of various bustling catering establishments.
The police are still trying to figure out exactly what happened, a spokesperson told RTL Nieuws. “That includes how the argument started and who used what violence.”
A COA spokesperson told the broadcaster that the man had been staying at the Heerhugowaard asylum center since January. “He previously stayed at other COA locations and had been in the Netherlands for about three years. Many people in and outside the asylum center are shocked. He also had friends and acquaintances outside the asylum center.”
The COA is organizing a memorial service. “It is not yet clear where and when,” the spokesperson said. “It is also difficult because the boy’s family is still in Somalia. We are now in contact with them, but communication is not easy.”
