Man sentenced to 8 years in prison, treatment for killing Rotterdam psychiatrist
The court in Rotterdam sentenced 26-year-old Bretly D. to 8 years in prison and compulsory psychiatric treatment (TBS) for killing Rotterdam psychiatrist Jean van Griensven in October 2023 and setting fire to the victim’s home. The court convicted D. of manslaughter, illegal possession of a weapon, arson, and vandalism.
Firefighters found Van Griensven’s body when responding to a fire in his Rotterdam home during the early hours of 13 October 2023. First responders carried him out of the house and tried to resuscitate him, but it was to no avail. The psychiatrist had been shot in the head at close range and had multiple stab and cut wounds.
A week later, a man from Zutphen reported to the police, saying that D. had assaulted him. The two had had sexual encounters several times in the past. The police believe D. also killed Van Griensven after a sex date.
D. was arrested in an Amsterdam hotel on October 25 after a short manhunt.
According to the court, the man invoked his right to remain silent during questioning and the hearings against him. But DNA evidence, camera footage, and witness statements provided enough evidence to conclusively prove that D. killed Van Griensven. “Manslaughter has been legally and convincingly proven,” the court said.
D. was examined in the Pieter Baan Center, and the experts there concluded that he has antisocial, narcissistic, and borderline personality disorders, as well as a high degree of psychopathy. He also has substance abuse issues. These combined make him less accountable.
The sentence is well below the 18 years in prison that the Public Prosecution Service (OM) had recommended. According to the court, in past manslaughter cases in which the perpetrator had diminished accountability, prison sentences ranged from 8 to 12 years. “Furthermore, not all of the charges against him have been proven,” the court said. “The TBS measure can be extended in the future if a safe return to society is not possible at the time.”
