Israeli victims of Amsterdam riots feel neglected by prosecutors as trial begins

Israeli victims of the November 8 riots in Amsterdam say they feel ignored by Dutch prosecutors ahead of the trial of seven suspects, set to begin on Wednesday. The victims have not been informed by the Public Prosecution Service (OM) about their rights, including whether they can exercise their right to speak in court or seek compensation for damages, said attorney Johan Oosterhagen, who represents 22 Maccabi supporters, to EenVandaag.

“These people called for help on the night of November 8, reaching out to police and bystanders in the city. They felt abandoned then, and they feel unheard now by the OM,” Oosterhagen added.

The attorney also criticized the prosecution for prioritizing the identification of suspects while neglecting the victims. He noted that despite the severity of the offenses—one case involves attempted manslaughter—the OM has made little effort to establish who the victims are. “I’ve never seen a situation involving such serious crimes where the victims remain unidentified,” Oosterhagen said.

The victims who contacted Oosterhagen reportedly want to attend the trial, present their side of the story, and file claims for compensation. However, they have not been given the opportunity to do so.

Oosterhagen is calling for the trial to be delayed until the prosecution has clarified the identities of the victims and informed them of their rights. “Wednesday’s hearing is the moment when victims can file a compensation claim for the harm they have suffered. If this isn’t done now, they lose the opportunity to adjust their claim later during an appeal,” he explained.

He added that while victims could pursue claims in civil court, this would place a heavier burden on them.

René de Beukelaer, chief public prosecutor in Amsterdam, acknowledged the victims’ concerns in a statement to EenVandaag, citing the urgency to bring the suspects to trial. “We prioritized speed to set a clear standard that this type of behavior is unacceptable,” De Beukelaer said. “But that speed also meant we couldn’t conduct a more in-depth investigation. We haven’t yet been able to match the victims’ reports from Israel with specific criminal acts. On the victims’ side, something is lost in this process.”

Oosterhagen believes the OM’s focus on prosecuting the suspects has come at the expense of the victims’ rights. “The attention has been overwhelmingly on identifying the perpetrators. That’s painful to observe,” he said.