Teen gets maximum juvenile sentence for Amstelveen murder-for-hire

On Friday, the court imposed sentences of up to 20 years for the murder of 56-year-old Itzhak Meiri in Amstelveen last year. The juvenile suspect F.M. (17) got the maximum sentence of two years in juvenile detention and juvenile institutionalized psychiatric treatment. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) demanded eight years in prison and treatment against him based on adult criminal law, but the court did not agree.

Co-defendant Jesus T.A. (21) got sentenced to 20 years in prison, equal to what the OM demanded. He accepted the assignment for the assassination and acted as the driver.

The victim from Almere was shot dead on 22 December 2021 after visiting a dentist on Wieringerstraat in Amstelveen. The two suspects allegedly followed Meiri for quite some time.

F.M. was 16 years old at the time of the murder. According to the OM, he fired seven shots at Meiri, hitting him three times. The Almere man succumbed to his injuries in the hospital a short time after the shooting.

Due to the severity of the crime, the OM considered it necessary to apply adult criminal law to the teenage suspect. The court also called the assassination a “very serious offense” but still applied juvenile law.

The court considered F.M. a boy functioning at a level appropriate to his age. He needs treatment with a pedagogical component, such as juvenile institutionalized psychiatric treatment provides. The court concluded that an institution for adults would not be the right place for the boy right now, pointing out that he would be transferred to an adult institution when he was older. Juvenile criminal law is sufficient in this case, the court ruled.

F.M. refused to make any statements and consistently invoked his right to remain silent during his trial. Co-defendant T.A. confessed to the police in July. He was arrested the day after Meiri’s murder. The police arrested F.M. in January.