Stabbed Alblasserdam teacher in stable condition, suspects may be arraigned next week

The teacher who was stabbed on Wednesday evening in Alblasserdam is now in stable condition and out of life-threatening danger, Namens de Familie has reported. The 53-year-old man was seriously injured when he tried to intervene in a fight between three men during the school's end of year musical.

The suspects are three men aged between 35 and 44 from Drieborg, Alblasserdam, and Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht. The suspects arrested in connection with the stabbing may be brought before the court after the weekend.

On Friday, the examining magistrate ruled that their arrests were lawful, after which they may be held for an additional three days. The Public Prosecution Service will decide after the weekend whether the suspects will be brought before the court, a spokesperson said. The examining magistrate will then determine if the suspects will remain in custody.

The decision on whether to bring them before the court is delayed partly because the investigation is not yet complete. Another factor is that the deadline for their court appearance expires on Saturday, but no hearings take place during the weekend.

Police searched houses in Alblasserdam and Dordrecht on Thursday but found nothing. A police spokesperson declined to comment on the reasons for the searches.

The victim’s family has said that they are "enormously relieved by the positive developments." In a brief statement, they thanked the ambulance and hospital staff, as well as the colleagues from Het Palet primary school who provided first aid.

The family also asked for privacy so they can focus “on the recovery of their beloved husband, father, son, and brother” in the coming period.

They urged the media to be cautious about sharing the man’s private information. “As a victim, he never asked for this terrible situation, which is why the family finds it inappropriate to distribute portrait photos or any personal details without permission, such as his last name and family situation.”

Education group OZHW, which includes Het Palet, stated in a declaration that the incident has had an enormous impact. “Naturally, our thoughts are first and foremost with our colleague and his family,” said Reinoud de Vries, chair of the board of directors. “For our students, their parents or guardians, and of course the teaching staff, this is a traumatic event.”

On Thursday morning, the teachers discussed what had happened with their classes. According to De Vries, the school board is “doing everything possible to ensure that parents and their children have access to the support they need.”

Victim Support Netherlands also provided support to teachers, students, and parents in Alblasserdam both on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.