Dutch men convicted in man’s drowning death after festival in Ghent, Belgium
Two Dutch men convicted for their role in a drowning death at an event in Ghent, Belgium were sentenced to prison on Monday. Ricardo de V., a 25-year-old, was ordered to spend four years behind bars for pushing the victim, Hakim Mutyaba, into a canal. A 27-year-old co-defendant was given a prison sentence of two years for negligence after allegedly witnessing the situation and not offering help.
The incident happened during the summer of 2022. De V. was accused of beating up Mutyaba, and then throwing him over the railing and into the water after the 53-year-old victim returned from the Gentse Feesten, an annual music event in the city. He was unable to swim, and drowned at the location.
The victim also had an encounter with the two Dutch suspects, both from Goes, earlier that day. The two suspects were accused of leaving the man to die, and his body was later found by a passer-by. Mutyaba’s remains were pulled from the Lousbergskaai water on July 17 of that year.
The Dutch suspects were arrested in the Netherlands, and then extradited to Belgium. They served some time in pre-trial detention, and were allowed to await their trial on a conditional release after posting bond.
Both Dutch men expressed remorse during the trial. “We had been drinking a lot and also smoking weed. I thought he wanted to throw me in the water, and so I did that to him. I did not know he couldn’t swim,” De V. said.
The other suspect said he did not help Mutyaba because he was “in a panic” and “didn’t know what to do.” He told the court, “It all happened so quickly and I didn’t really realize what had happened at first.”
“They did nothing to save Hakim, even though there is a life ring on every bridge. They do not realize the loving father they took away from us,” Mutyaba’s girlfriend told the court.
The men from Goes were found guilty of involuntary causing Mutyaba’s death, and negligence for not providing assistance. The victim’s family had requested that they be tried for manslaughter, but the court did not agree.
“I think the defendants would like to turn back the clock if they could. I see two phases in the facts. The first phase is when Hakim was thrown into the water. Hakim was not aggressive, but was physically exuberant. In a kind of playful movement, he tried to lift the defendant, who then threw Hakim over the railing,” the prosecutor stated during the trial.
“On the camera images, we see both defendants looking over the railing. Hakim was struggling, fighting for his life. They saw that he was in mortal danger and they should have taken action. They didn’t necessarily have to jump into the water, but they should have called the emergency services or done something.”
Prosecutors sought a 30-month sentence against Ricardo de V. They recommended the court also convict the other suspect, and sentence him to serve 18 months in prison.
