Suspects could face up to 10 years in prison for Mallorca fatal beating

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) demanded up to 10 years in prison against the suspects involved in two brawls in Mallorcan in July last year, one of which led to Carlo Heuvelman's death. Sanil B. heard the highest sentence demanded against him. The OM demanded eight years in prison against Mees T. and Hein B.

The Hilversum young people suspected of nightlife violence in Mallorca were “on the warpath” and looking for confrontation. The public prosecutor said that on Monday, at the start of the eighth day of hearings in the Mallorca case. According to her, there is nothing to indicate that the deceased Carlo Heuvelman and his friends committed violence.

Of the nine suspects in the case, Sanil B. (20), Mees T. (19), and Hein B. (19) are accused of assaulting Heuvelman, resulting in his death. They’re facing charges of manslaughter. The other suspects are facing charges of public violence. Some are also accused of attempted manslaughter of one of Heuvelman's friends. Against five of them, the OM demanded prison sentences ranging from 180 days to 18 months and up to 180 hours of community service. The OM asked that the ninth suspect, 20-year-old Martijn T., be acquitted.

In the indictment, two public prosecutors gave their views on the brutal brawls in Mallorca on July 14 last year. According to the OM, this image has been confirmed by several witnesses.

“There is nothing that can justify the violence. The violence started suddenly,” the prosecutor said, quoting from statements by several witnesses who saw the fatal beating. The 27-year-old Heuvelman was beaten up on the boulevard of the seaside resort and ended up unconscious on the ground. He died in the hospital four days later.

Heuvelman was beaten up in front of bar De Bierexpress. That was the second fight involving the suspects that night. A short while earlier, at bar De Zaak, a fight arose about the number of available seats between the suspects from Hilversum and another group of Dutch tourists from Heerughowaard. They challenged each other back and forth. The Heerhugowaard group did not use violence, the prosecutor said. She based this on surveillance camera footage, among other things. “The violence clearly came from the Hilversum group, who started the fight. The others used almost no violence in return. It was a one-way street,” said the prosecutor.

“This was not a bar fight that got out of hand, but bizarre violence,” the prosecutor said about suspects kicking their victims in the head as they lay defenseless on the ground. “Violence that ended the life of 27-year-old Carlo. He was in the prime of his life.”

The Spanish authorities handed the investigation over to the Netherlands last year, as both victims and suspects were Dutch. “All in all, a complex investigation,” said the prosecutor. The Dutch authorities questioned over 60 witnesses, analyzed camera images, examined over 20 phones and other data carriers, tapped over 50 conversations and over 60 telephone lines, deployed an informant, and carried out forensic investigations on clothing, among other things.