Legal Protection Min. wants serious crime suspects to attend trial via video link

Serious criminals will appear in court more often via video connection in the future. That is what caretaker Minister Sander Dekker (Legal Protection) wants. He also wants lawyers to visit detainees in the Extra Secure Penitentiary only in pairs.

Dekker wants to limit the transport of serious criminals with the video connection. Transportation to court and the security of these processes cost the police a lot of staffing. It must also prevent suspects from communicating with each other. Dekker sent plans to this effect to parliament on Monday.

The most serious criminals are detained in the Extra Secure Penitentiary in Vught. A video facility will be established there to prevent the prisoners from being transported to court. "This extraordinary group of detainees requires an extraordinary approach," said Dekker.

The Minister also announced that a highly secured hearing location in Lelystad will replace the Bunker in Amsterdam Osdorp. As previously announced, a new Extra Secure Penitentiary will be set up in Vlissingen. It should be ready in 2028. Extra secured cells will be built in the Schiphol Judicial Complex so that suspects can spend the night there.

Dekker also wants to increase the supervision of lawyers. Supervision will be transferred from a local dean to a central body. He also believes that lawyers should no longer represent clients with whom they have a close personal or family relationship. Dekker calls on the Dutch Bar Association to talk to him about this.

Last month, Ridouan Taghi's cousin was arrested at the Extra Secure Penitentiary in Vught. This man is also Taghi's lawyer.