Ferdinand Grapperhaus

Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus of Justice and Security was infuriated by people flocking to parks, beaches and forests in groups over the weekend. "This is embarrassing and completely wrong. Let me be clear about that," he said in an interview with EenVandaag on Sunday evening. "It is embarrassing to see people in healthcare working their fingers to the bone, and that 40 people are walking through a forest a little further away."

The National Police is not doing enough to help police officers struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is unnecessarily difficult for traumatized officers to get compensation and their reintegration is not handled properly, National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen said in a letter to Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus of Justice and Security. He called on the Minister to quickly fix this problem, RTL Nieuws reports

The government is holding a crisis meeting on how to deal with coronavirus Covid-19 on Tuesday morning. The so-called "ministerial crisis management committee' will gather to discuss the current state of affairs, how effective the current measures are, and whether further measures are needed, RTL Nieuws reports.

Attendees of the meeting includes Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Minister Bruno Bruins for Medical Care, Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus of Justice and Security, and public health institute RIVM.

Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus of Justice and Security is stepping up the fight against children and teenagers carrying knives and other stabbing weapons, he said in an interview with the Telegraaf. On Monday the mayors of Nissewaard and Ridderkerk called for a nationwide ban on minors carrying these weapons. And mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb of Rotterdam announced that he will fine the parents of children caught twice with knives.

Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus of Justice and Security knew about a corruption investigation against The Hague aldermen Richard de Mos and Rachid Guernaoui at least 10 months before their homes were raided in October last year, NOS and Omroep West report based on documents requested from the Public Prosecution Service through the Government Information Act. Former mayor Pauline Krikke was not aware of the investigation during that period.

A majority in the lower house of Dutch parliament is in favor of increasing the maximum penalty for manslaughter, as the chief executive at the Public Prosecution Service called for earlier this month. The parliamentarians agree that the gap between the 30 years maximum prison sentence for murder and the current 15 years for manslaughter must be decreased, RTL Nieuws reports.

The VVD and CDA want to amend the Passport Act to make sure that people whose Dutch nationality was stripped because they joined a terrorist organization can not get a new passport from the Dutch government. "This is another step to prevent these people from returning to the Netherlands and making our country unsafe," VVD parliamentarian Dilan Yeşilgöz said, RTL Nieuws reports.

At least 1,500 interpreters in the Netherlands are on strike from Monday - they will no longer take work from the judiciary, police and immigration and naturalization service IND. The interpreters are striking against government budget cuts, which they believe come at the expense of quality. According to action group Registertolken en -vertalers, the strike will last as long as necessary, AD reports.

At midnight the Netherlands rang in 2020 with firework shows in Rotterdam and The Hague, where the thick fog cleared just in time. While Justice Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus said he feared a "wild west party" this New Year's, there were no major incidents. There were, however, a very large number of car fires, especially in The Hague region, and multiple incidents of aid workers and first responders being attacked or harassed, according to various Dutch media. 

Like pornographic images and videos of children, "textual child pornography" like the so-called pedophile's handbook must also be prohibited in the Netherlands, according to ruling party VVD. According to the party, "it can not be explained to victims and their parents that textbooks that glorify sexual abuse of children are legal", AD reports.

News of the arrest of suspected organized crime boss Ridouan Taghi brought a sense of pride and relief to officials in the Netherlands tasked with tracking down the fugitive. Taghi, who turns 42 later this week, is suspected of ordering nine assassinations and has given Dutch authorities the runaround for years while still controlling a vast criminal organization, police alleged.