Prison, psych treatment demanded for young Ede woman's murder
The Public Prosecutor demanded six years in prison and institutionalized psychiatric treatment against 21-year-old Thomas B. in the court in Arnhem on Wednesday. He is suspected of murdering 19-year-old Willianne van Stempvoort in Ede in November last year.
B. initially did not want to answer the court's questions on Tuesday morning, but decided to explain himself after a consultation with his lawyer Bart Molenaar, according to Gelderlander reporter Harold Schuil tweeting from the courtroom. The young man told the court that an argument about him forgetting the money for a paid sex appointment resulted in the murder.
The murder happened on Tuesday, November 8th, 2016. Thomas B. was arrested the next day.
The suspect and victim knew each other from school. They lost touch, but eventually contacted each other again via WhatsApp. Their conversations were initially about meaningless things, but gradually turned more sexual in nature until they made an appointment for paid sex.
On the night of the murder, B. cycled to the house where Willianne lived. When it became clear that B. forgot to bring the money, she became very angry, he told the court. B. panicked and strangled her with a rope he had on him by chance, he said. He then hit her with a pruning shear that was in the house.
According to the Public Prosecutor, there are two scenarios. Either B. lost it and attacked the young woman when she confronted him about not bringing her money. Or he had a premeditated plan. The Prosecutor pointed out that B. has a collection of weapons and wrote violent texts about - freely translated - the blood of whores with which he wanted to was his feet.
B. claims the Prosecutor is reading too much into that. The weapons collection is a hobby and the texts are lyrics for his metal band, he said.
During the hearing experts and the judges long discussed whether B. should be tried as a juvenile or an adult. The Prosecutor demanded an adult sentence against him. The psychologist that examined B. advised that he be sent directly to a psychiatric institution for long term treatment.
