Psychiatric care, not prison, for man who killed 11-year-old in Nieuwegein

The court has sentenced Hamzah L., who killed 11-year-old Sohani in Nieuwegein last year, to compulsory psychiatric care at a TBS facility. The sanction has no set expiration, it can be prolonged as long as he remains a threat to the public. The court followed the prosecution’s recommendation and did not impose a prison term.

On February 1, 2025, L. inexplicably stabbed the girl while she was playing on the street, while her younger brother, niece, and nephew watched. He was experiencing a psychotic episode and later said he believed a demon inhabited his victim.

Earlier on the same day, he attacked a woman at a Nieuwegein shopping center, which the Public Prosecution Service said was part of the same disturbed pattern of behavior. Days before the stabbing, locals had observed L. acting erratically and aggressively, prompting earlier warnings to both police and care services. This led to calls for police reform regarding the treatment of suspects with psychiatric issues.

The court concluded that the attack was entirely caused by L.’s psychosis, and experts found him fully legally insane, a ruling the judges upheld. The hearing also addressed his drug use, which may have worsened the psychotic episodes he had experienced for years.

Investigators say L. bought the knife roughly a week before the incident, potentially intending to use it to take his own life.

L. had a lengthy history of psychological issues and interactions with both healthcare services and the justice system, including prior acts of violence and threats. Before the attack, he was under care at a forensic psychiatric facility. As early as 2022, the court had cautioned that L. posed a significant risk of committing serious violence again.

Experts stressed that any drug use on the day of the attack did not cause the psychosis. The court ruled that the man’s actions were the result of his psychotic state. “He had no other choice at the time and is therefore not criminally responsible.”

At the January court session, L. expressed his “heartfelt apologies” for “all the pain and suffering I have caused, " and he said he was not in control of myself.”

The court acknowledges that Sohani’s family may desire a prison sentence. “However, if the defendant is found not legally accountable, the court has no authority to impose imprisonment.”