Two girls convicted of eight arsons in Alkmaar, must pay 130,000 euros

The Alkmaar court on Wednesday found two girls guilty of eight arsons committed in Alkmaar on August 16 last year. Aged 12 and 14 at the time, they started fires in the city center at the library, McDonald’s, HEMA, Xenos, the Grote Kerk, Decathlon, and the Vue cinema. They later set the KiK store in the De Mare shopping center ablaze, destroying it completely.

The court said the fires had a significant effect on the Alkmaar community. The girls confessed to the arson during the trial but did not reveal their motive, leaving it unclear. The court described this as “unsatisfactory” for the victims and others involved.

Previous reporting suggested that the two girls and their surroundings were vulnerable, and that the girls may have committed the arson out of “boredom.”

The court sentenced the girls to community service and juvenile detention, though they will not return to prison. They must undergo compulsory treatment and are barred from contacting each other. Experts recommended that, given their psychological and developmental challenges, mandatory therapy was more important than extended incarceration.

Financially, the girls are jointly required to pay approximately 130,000 euros in damages. Since one of the girls was only 12 when the arson occurred, her parents will likely be held liable for her portion of the compensation. The court’s decision takes into account her age and parents’ legal responsibility for minors.