The three videos below are the third set in a series of twelve reports on culture-enriching violence against the emergency services in the Netherlands. Previously: Part 1 (videos 1-3), Part 2 (videos 4-6).
Many thanks to C for the translations, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling.
Video #7: Tram conductor assaulted (from 2011)
Video #8: Violence against first responders: “I looked down and then BOOM”
Video #9: Suspect acquitted in assault on police officer Damien in Leiden
Video transcript #7:
00:00 | The conductor was working on tram 9 when he was attacked at the stop [Hague station] Hollands Spoor. | |
00:05 | According to bystanders, the man was badly hurt. | |
00:08 | Because of all the blood, the rumor was that he was stabbed. Fortunately this was not the case, | |
00:12 | and the HTM employee was released from hospital the same afternoon. | |
00:15 | This was not an isolated incident. Last month, an HTM employee was threatened. | |
00:20 | In January and February, two other conductors were victims of violence. | |
00:24 | And last year, HTM employees protested against violence on public transport. | |
00:29 | They tried to get the general public’s attention by handing out wristbands. | |
00:32 | It is in any case a way to raise awareness. You never know if it works, of course. | |
00:36 | But it sends the message that this needs to stop. | |
00:40 | The number of incidents involving serious violence increased considerably in 2010. | |
00:43 | The HTM pledged firm intervention. The PVV [Wilders’ party] | |
00:46 | even wanted to equip conductors with batons. |
Video transcript #8:
00:00 | I feel something hit my left leg, I look down, and it’s boom. | |
00:05 | For me, at that moment, it was over. | |
00:08 | Former fireman Mark Hommersen remembers it as if it happened yesterday. | |
00:12 | New Year’s Eve 2008-2009. Together with colleagues he’s on his way to a car fire in Hoorn. | |
00:18 | And then something happens he never expected. | |
00:23 | As it turned out later, it was an [illegal] Spanish cracker that had been thrown between my legs. | |
00:28 | A Spanish cracker is comparable to a drill bomb [flashbang] in terms of power, | |
00:31 | in terms of explosive power, and it was their intention to startle us. | |
00:38 | Well, they clearly succeeded. —His fireman’s protective suit mitigated the effects. | |
00:43 | Still, the incident left its mark. | |
00:46 | Permanent hearing damage, and especially psychological problems. | |
00:50 | Mark becomes a different person, his family finds. —I have a short fuse [now]. | |
00:54 | At home of course, the smallest kind of incident. | |
00:58 | In the end he even has to quit as a fireman, despite his passion and commitment. | |
01:03 | Next day, he has a conversation with the perpetrator. For the first and the last time. | |
01:07 | He didn’t offer an apology or anything. So, I was done. Not interested. | |
01:13 | He didn’t say sorry? —No, no. He never said sorry, no. | |
01:17 | And if you then hear that he got community service for what he did to me, | |
01:22 | and when you also hear about other incidents in the Netherlands. I think the legal system, | |
01:27 | considering what has been said, the sentencing is still too lenient. | |
01:31 | Way too lenient. I’d say, let him join us for a day, as a punishment. | |
01:37 | When there are serious incidents… Let’s confront him with the facts. | |
01:41 | This is what we do, and… all us first responders in the Netherlands. |
Video transcript #9:
00:00 | Damien leaves court. The judge has just acquitted the 19-year-old suspect. | |
00:06 | The judge looked at the whole of the dossier, all the evidence, | |
00:10 | and judged that there insufficient evidence that this suspect is the one who kicked the officer. | |
00:15 | This is the state officer Damien was in a year ago: his leg wrapped up, stitches in his knee. | |
00:20 | A nerve in his leg died, and it is questionable whether he will ever recover. | |
00:24 | Two weeks ago he spoke in court, to tell how he was maimed that night, | |
00:27 | when he and his colleague intervene in a brawl on the Lange mare in Leiden. | |
00:31 | I look at my left leg and see it is twisted, halfway down my lower leg, lying under my body… | |
00:36 | and I know: this is bad. This is absolutely very bad. | |
00:40 | He also points at who he believes is the guilty party, the 19-year-old Ali H. | |
00:45 | Madam Speaker, this was my New Year’s Eve… because of him! | |
00:51 | The officer pointed out the defendant as the man who assaulted him. | |
00:54 | But the testimony of the officer turned out not to be enough. | |
00:58 | Nobody else saw the assault, and there is no footage. | |
01:01 | Evidence in this case was lacking. It is the testimony of the officer | |
01:05 | who pointed out the suspect after he had been unconscious for a while. | |
01:10 | There was testimony from a woman who, when she was later heard by the judge, | |
01:14 | was not as confident any more, and was under the influence at the time it happened. | |
01:18 | All in all, the court judged it could not be established | |
01:21 | with sufficient certainty that the suspect was the one who kicked [the victim]. | |
01:24 | The acquittal is a blow for Damien, who gave up his job as a teacher to work as a police officer. | |
01:30 | The office for the prosecution did not expect that H. would be acquitted, either. | |
01:34 | Two weeks ago we asked for 18 months prison time, | |
01:37 | because we feel there is enough evidence for both crimes, so | |
01:40 | both the aggravated assault, but also grievous bodily harm of a police officer. | |
01:44 | The department of justice is considering an appeal. |