Erasmus Bridge stabbing victim is a German urban planner who just moved to Rotterdam
The 22-year-old man suspected of having a motive of terrorism in the fatal knife attack at the Erasmus Bridge last week is expected to appear in front of a magistrate on Monday for an initial hearing to extend his jailing. Investigators believe Ayoub M. from Amersfoort stabbed and killed 32-year-old Philipp Winter, a German man living in Rotterdam, and wounded a 33-year-old Swiss man.
A pair of rollerblades were laid out along with flowers, stuffed animals and a rainbow flag at the site of the attack. The bridge was said to be one of Winter's favorite skating spots in the area. The urban planner had a love for architecture and nature, with sustainability improvements a key focus of his work.
Winter moved to the Netherlands from Hamburg about six months ago, and took up residence in Rotterdam. "I'm so excited about what's coming — new people, new ideas, new projects," he wrote on social media after the move. The urban planner briefly worked for the design agency Defacto before choosing to independently pursue his own project, according to NRC.
Defacto company director Anne Loes Nillesen said news of Winter's murder reached her colleagues on Sunday. They were devastated by the loss of a man described as being outgoing and inquisitive. Although he had already left her firm, Winter was still friends with several people working at Defacto.
M., who was previously convicted of violent crimes in the past, is accused of bringing two large knives with him on Thursday when he went to the iconic bridge. He is said to have shouted "Allahu Akbar!" before he stabbed the Swiss man, and then Winter. The Swiss man was hospitalized and released the following day. Winter was pronounced dead at the scene after attempts to revive him failed.
The suspect was overpowered by a group of individuals, including a kickboxing trainer, as he tried to make his way to a crowded area. M. was also injured when he was captured, and was hospitalized for treatment.
On Friday, prosecutors said M. was being held under suspicion of “murder and attempted murder with a terrorist motive.” The Public Prosecution Service wrote, “The investigation conducted so far provides indications that the suspect may be ideologically driven. For example, the suspect shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ several times during the commission of the acts.”
An examining magistrate will decide on Monday whether to provisionally extend M.'s pre-trial detention. Police can hold a suspect in a criminal case for an initial period of up to three days, which can in some circumstances be extended by three days. A magistrate must then decide whether there is enough cause to remand the suspect into custody for up to 14 days. Following that, a three-judge panel at a district court can extend pre-trial detention by up to 90 days at a time.
The District Court in The Hague will oversee the case, instead of the local court in Rotterdam. The prosecutor said several Rotterdam “court employees were among the witnesses to the stabbing,” and the case will be handled by a different court to maintain independence.
M. is a resident of a supervised transitional facility for young adults who are clients of care organization Kwintes, according to the Telegraaf. The organization specializes in helping people become more capable of independent living, including those who were previously convicted of crimes, or who used to live on the street.
They also offer assistance to those with an autism spectrum disorder, as well as others in need of forensic psychiatric care, according to their website. Area residents told the Telegraaf that the location where M. lives was also the site of a recent stabbing.
They have complained that the influx of young adults with troubled backgrounds has caused problems in the neighborhood. "We're not allowed to comment at all about this. We don't want any unrest in here right now, you understand," a Kwintes social worker told the newspaper.
