Suspect says sorry for Rotterdam psychiatrist's murder, but won't say anything else
Bretly D., 26, accused of murdering Rotterdam psychiatrist Jean van Griensven on October 13, 2023, expressed regret to the victim’s family in court on Monday but refused to discuss the killing or his motive, RTL reported.
Authorities say D. allegedly shot the 60-year-old victim at close range in the forehead and then set fire to his home in Rotterdam-Zuid. The two reportedly had a sexual encounter, and drugs were involved. A toxicology report showed the victim had a methamphetamine overdose. The exact circumstances of the violence remain unclear, as D. has not spoken about the incident.
The victim’s lawyer read a statement from Van Griensven’s nephew and ex-partner. “Those words, they hit me. I find it terrible, and I want to say sorry,” D. said. Monday marked his first public appearance for the substantive hearing. Proceedings will resume on Wednesday.
D. also faces accusations of attempted manslaughter in Zutphen days later. In court, he denied those allegations, saying, “This boy has a very rich imagination. It’s lies from A to Z.” Police said he allegedly stabbed a 32-year-old man during a dispute; the victim escaped with minor injuries. After the Zutphen incident, D. evaded police for several days before being arrested on October 25 at a hotel in Amsterdam.
He was evaluated at the Pieter Baan Centrum but did not cooperate. Experts identified multiple disorders and advised the court to impose TBS with compulsory psychiatric treatment.
Prior to this, D. had already reportedly built a lengthy criminal history, having lived on the streets from age 13 and spent several years in youth detention.
