Footballer Quincy Promes admits stabbing relative; Will give police statement

Footballer Quincy Promes, 34, confessed to stabbing a distant relative once with a pocket knife during a party in Abcoude, his lawyer stated on Tuesday at a preliminary hearing. Attorney Carry Knoops noted that Promes had broken his silence and “for the first time provided full disclosure” about the incident.

Promes faces allegations of large-scale cocaine smuggling as well as the stabbing. The court handed him a combined sentence of 7.5 years in prison for both offenses. Both Promes and the Public Prosecution Service have filed appeals.

Promes’s lawyers, Geert-Jan and Carry Knoops, say he is not involved in the cocaine trafficking. The duo has only recently taken on his defense. Attorney Eva Dekker handled the final segment of the defense’s argument, stating that they need access to all communication data, both encrypted and decrypted messages, along with metadata. Promes was convicted based on messages linked to an account attributed to him, but Dekker argues that it has never been verified whether he actually sent those messages.

The victim of the stabbing was previously referred to as Promes’s cousin, but his lawyers clarify that he is a “distant relative.” The incident occurred during a July 2020 party, when the man allegedly stole jewelry, resulting in a confrontation. The victim sustained a knee injury from the stabbing.

Promes’s lawyers stated that “enormous fear and anger” had prevented him from being forthcoming until now. “Honestly, I had lost faith in the justice system,” he admitted. He expressed anger at being labeled a “serious criminal” by the authorities, which, he says, led to harsh treatment when he was arrested in Dubai last summer.

“My terrible experiences there have left a lifelong mark,” Promes said, claiming he was kept in isolation for several days and subjected to intense interrogations while handcuffed and blindfolded.

Promes is set to provide a statement to the police regarding both the cocaine trafficking and stabbing cases, accompanied by his lawyers. When asked by the court whether the former footballer would speak to the police, Promes complained that the chairperson was “throwing me under the bus in front of the media” by catching him off guard with the question. The chairperson, however, noted that this is not the first time he has been asked about the matter.

The main hearings at the Amsterdam Court of Appeal are scheduled for November 30 and December 2, with December 4 as an overflow day. Prior procedural hearings will also take place, as Promes remains in pretrial detention, which requires judicial review every three months.

Promes played a total of 50 games for the Dutch national side. He also played for Ajax, FC Twente, Sevilla, and Spartak Moscow, before playing in Dubai in the 2024-25 season, which will likely be his last professional season.