Court cuts sentence in Zwijndrecht shooting that disabled ex-partner, killed her mother
An appeals court in The Hague on Monday sentenced Minh V., 52, nicknamed “Lucky,” to 26 years and eight months in prison for a January 2023 shooting in Zwijndrecht that killed his former mother-in-law and left his ex-girlfriend permanently disabled. The ruling reduces a 30-year sentence imposed in 2024.
V. opened fire on Jan. 21, 2023, in the parking lot of a shopping center, targeting his ex-girlfriend after she ended their 13-year relationship. The woman, 38, survived but suffered permanent disabilities. Her 66-year-old mother died. Witnesses saw the attack, and V. threatened a bystander who tried to intervene, firing a shot into the air. He then fled and remained at large for five weeks.
The court found that V. premeditated the attempt on his ex-girlfriend’s life. “The facts are of an unprecedented brutality,” the prosecution said. The case showed “all the characteristics of femicide, including intimate terror, stalking, and possessiveness.” The court rejected the defense’s description of the attack as a “crime passionel,” saying the term has no legal meaning. While femicide also has no formal legal definition under Dutch law, the court said the facts fit that description more closely.
The court ruled that the killing of the mother was manslaughter, not premeditated murder. “V. knew that she would protect her daughter at all times, which means you factor in that there is only one way to neutralize her,” a spokesperson for the victims’ family said, calling the ruling “a disappointment.” The advocate general said, “We are talking about a man who simply cannot accept it if he does not get his way.”
Under Dutch law, sentencing for multiple crimes is based on the most serious offense — in this case, attempted murder — with an additional one-third added for other crimes. That calculation prevented the court from imposing the same 30-year sentence given by the lower court in Dordrecht.
V. has a history of challenging prison conditions. He previously filed a complaint seeking transfer from the high-security unit at a Sittard prison, saying the regime was too harsh, and went on a hunger strike. Earlier this month, he did not appear at a hearing after reportedly swallowing a razor blade and being hospitalized. The court continued the case in his absence to avoid delays, with all parties agreeing.
