Suspect confesses to stripping Haarlem boy, beating him while unconscious

A 23-year-old Heemskerk man confessed in court on Monday to his involvement in a humiliating attack on a 17-year-old Haarlem resident earlier this year. Videos of the incident showed the boy being stripped naked, beaten, and then kicked repeatedly in the head, even while he was unconscious, the prosecutor told a courtroom in Haarlem. The footage prompted retaliation, and the closure of five area secondary schools.

The suspect, Fouad B., confessed to the violent assault on September 6, but he said he was unaware the teen's jacket, phone, and money were stolen. He was the first of the group to appear in the District Court for Noord-Holland on Monday during a preliminary hearing.

The footage showed the serious assault on the minor. At one point, the perpetrators showed the victim's driver's license. It was posted online with text captions, such as "3-0 for Beverwijk, Haarlemmers are snot noses."

The prosecutor in the case spoke of "severe violent incidents" stemming from an earlier conflict between a group of young people from Haarlem, and a group from just north of there in Beverwijk and Heemskerk. "Shocking images of this were circulated, and this, in turn, led to further escalation."

A revenge attack followed on September 8 in Beverwijk, when a 22-year-old man from Heemskerk was dragged into a car at gunpoint. He was taken to Haarlem, where he was also stripped naked and severely beaten.

One video showed the victim with duct tape covering his eyes and mouth. He was also assaulted, and the barrel of a revolver was shoved in his mouth.

B. is one of four suspects who was arrested in the case involving the assault of the Haarlem minor. B.'s attorney asked the court to terminate the pretrial detention period, saying that the man should not have been charged with attempted manslaughter.

In the eyes of the law, the crime did not fit the conditions for such a severe offense, the defense argued. "However disturbing the images may be, we are not looking at attempted manslaughter, but at serious violence by a group." The court will announce on Tuesday whether B. will remain in custody.

Another suspect in the attack on the minor was identified as a 22-year-old man from Beverwijk, who is also in custody. A 17-year-old suspect from Heemskerk was recently released from custody by an appeals court decision. A 24-year-old man from Beverwijk was previously released in the case.

An 18-year-old man from IJmuiden was still in custody on Monday in the revenge assault. Police are still searching for a 21-year-old resident of Haarlem in that case.