Police defend use of force in Zeist arrest where pregnant woman was knocked down
Police say force used during a May arrest at an asylum seekers’ center in Zeist was "necessary" after an incident in which an officer knocked a pregnant woman to the ground. The woman was not injured, but the case has drawn widespread public attention and international media coverage.
On May 19, police responded to a report of threats and vandalism at the facility in Zeist. According to authorities, a man involved in the incident may have had a knife, while a woman at the scene repeatedly ignored commands to leave.
The officer involved has previously said he would have acted differently had he known the woman was pregnant.
The operation was reviewed internally by a supervisor from the Police Midden-Nederland unit and by a police internal use-of-force committee. Based on their advice, the unit chief issued a final decision, but that assessment has not been made public.
A spokesperson for Police Midden-Nederland said, "This conclusion applies to the entire operation in the building, for the entire group. There was a situation in which the police intervention in question was directly necessary to ensure the safety of those involved.”
Police said the review remains internal due to procedural rules that restrict what can be disclosed. Authorities also confirmed that no disciplinary sanctions were imposed on the officers involved.
