Man sentenced to five years, psychiatric treatment for murder of downstairs neighbor
A 38-year-old man, Nuri Ö., has been sentenced by the Amsterdam Court of Appeal to five years in prison and mandatory psychiatric treatment (TBS) following the killing of 25-year-old Rens and the attempted killing of his 29-year-old roommate in Amsterdam-West. The attack occurred on August 1, 2025, in the victims’ apartment on Robert Scottstraat.
The court found that Ö. stabbed Rens multiple times in his bedroom, killing him. Rens’s roommate attempted to intervene and was severely wounded before fleeing the apartment. Police discovered Rens dead shortly afterward and arrested Ö. at the scene.
“The suspect killed the victim in his own bedroom, unexpectedly and in a very brutal manner, by stabbing him repeatedly with a knife,” the court stated. “The roommate who tried to save him nearly lost his own life and was forced to flee, leaving his friend behind.”
Ö. had initially been convicted of murder and attempted murder by the District Court in Amsterdam. However, the appellate court determined that the evidence did not establish premeditation or intent to kill. The court concluded that Ö. acted in the heat of the moment, reducing the charges to manslaughter and attempted manslaughter.
Because Ö. was found to have a psychiatric disorder affecting his judgment, the court imposed a combined sentence of five years in prison and TBS.
The court noted that TBS often involves prolonged restrictions on freedom, meaning Ö.’s overall confinement could extend well beyond the prison term. Ö. was also ordered to pay damages to the victims’ family.
This verdict contrasts with the District Court’s initial ruling, which sentenced the 36-year-old Ö. to TBS only, citing reports from forensic psychiatric specialists at the Pieter Baan Centrum.
At the April 26 hearing, Ö. reportedly disrupted proceedings and blocked his attorney from arguing on his behalf. The court noted that Ö. had lived in “a very extensive and continuous delusional world of which several people, including his downstairs neighbors, were a part,” and that his behavior had grown increasingly aggressive and threatening.
The appellate court concluded that, while Ö. remains mentally unwell, a limited punitive measure alongside TBS was necessary to reflect the severity of the crimes.
On the morning of August 1, emergency services received a call around 8:45 a.m. reporting a stabbing at the Robert Scottstraat apartment in Amsterdam-West.
Paramedics, multiple ambulances, police units, and a trauma helicopter responded to the scene. Two men were seriously injured; Rens later succumbed to his injuries. Ö., a resident of Amsterdam, was taken into custody.
Eyewitnesses told Parool that Ö. was covered in blood prior to his arrest and had displayed “disturbed” behavior. One witness said he had been standing on a balcony with a knife before the stabbing.
“I was quietly drinking coffee when I suddenly heard screaming and banging in the house next to me,” local resident Jelle Zijlstra told the newspaper. “Someone shouted very loudly: Help!” He added that a man emerged half-naked and covered in blood while another waved a knife from a balcony. Another neighbor took in the injured man.
