Man gets 30 years for killing girlfriend & her daughter

A man convicted of killing his girlfriend and the rape and murder of her daughter, was re-sentenced by a court in Leeuwarden on Monday. Alex L. was again told to spend thirty years of prison and time in a psychiatric prison facility with involuntary treatment for killing Manon Pieters (41) and her daughter Fleur (15).

The court said it was choosing the strictest possible punishment that it could be certain was allowable by law, as the debate about life sentences in the Netherlands and Europe continues. The demand of the Public Prosecutor in the first appeal in October had been a life sentence.

L. has admitted his crimes. He strangled his girlfriend in her house after a fight. Then he raped and murdered her daughter, who had witnessed her mother's death. L. hid the bodies in a crawl space of the house in Lelystad.

On his first appeal, the court in Lelystad condemned the 39-years old L. in July to the same sentence. Alex L. found the punishment too high and went on higher appeal. "I must get less punishment, at least five years less", he said in the courtroom, "After 30 years psychiatric prison, it will make no sense".

He was also sentenced for the possession of child pornography. On trial, when interrogated on the matter, L. claimed to be a sex addict.