Man facing 28-year prison sentence for sexually abusing and murdering nine-year-old

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) demanded a 28-year prison sentence and compulsory psychiatric treatment at a TBS facility against 24-year-old Donny M. on Wednesday. M. is suspected of kidnapping, sexually abusing, and murdering Gino van der Straeten (9). "The last 2.5 hours of his life were terrible," said the public prosecutor. "He was the prey of a predator who was looking for sex with a boy."

Gino disappeared on June 1, 2022, in Kerkrade after playing football on a field near his oldest sister's house. He was staying with her at the time because their mother was too ill to care for him. “That night, the thing happened that is every parent, sister, or brother’s worst nightmare,” the OM added. “The kidnapping of a child.”

M. was arrested three days after the disappearance. He had been in contact with justice services before due to sex crimes with minors. He pointed out the location of Gino’s body, which had been put in garbage bags in a wooden shed near his apartment in Geleen. The case led to national horror and sorrow.

M. took the boy home to abuse him. He gave him ecstasy and erection pills there, which the prosecution believes qualifies as a serious assault. In the end, he smothered him in the bathroom with a pillow. According to the prosecution, Gino was in the house for two hours and 20 minutes. The Public Prosecution Service does not believe that M. was complete in his statements about what exactly happened there. "We tried to come as close as possible to that in the investigation," said the prosecutor.

The OM also believes the charges of making and distributing sex abuse videos of a 17-year-old are proven.

Footage of the moment that M. spotted Gino for the first time was shown on Wednesday in the court. “I got it into my head that I had to follow him,” M. said during police questioning. The prosecutor compared the behavior to that of a predator. "He waits until he sees his opportunity and then approaches his prey."

The prosecutors said that the images show that M. only had an eye for Gino once he had seen him. The victim can be seen on his step going around Kerkrade, where he was staying with his sister. First, he was with her partner, and then he was alone. While crossing an intersection, Gino can be seen stepping in front of the suspect's car.

Shortly afterward, M. parked his car near the field where Gino was going to play football. He made contact with the boy and then talked him into his car, according to him, under the promise that he would take him home. In the police interrogation shown in the courtroom, he said that he wanted to take the boy to a place where no one could see them with the goal of sexually abusing him.

M. drove via Landgraaf, where he put Gino's scooter out of the car, to his house in Geleen. Some images of that were also shown. On the way, M. forced Gino to sit on the floor of his car by the passenger seat. The boy was already in a panic and was crying and screaming. A person can be seen in the images in the passenger seat in Geleen.

M's lawyer will make his plea on Friday. The court's verdict is expected on November 27.