On April 23, 1985, he was sentenced at the age of 22 to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a young woman in Sint Maarten, "the longest sentence" had been handed down due to a high risk of recurrence, according to a report by a psychiatric doctor. The accused was then imprisoned in Curaçao.
In 2015, a new law came into force allowing the conditional release of people who had already served 25 years in prison. The convict was concerned but his case was not suggested until 2018, three years after the new law, the judges noted. After four years of proceedings, the case of this individual was examined by the court in early April.
The magistrates carried out several hearings. Those first of all of the relatives of the victim. The parents, brothers and sisters opposed the release of the man. They indicated that they were still “traumatized, that it is still very difficult for them to accept and come to terms with the loss of their daughter and their sister”. They believe that "given the horrific nature of the crime committed, the convicted person should never be paroled and therefore strongly oppose it."
In addition, a new psychiatric assessment of the prisoner was carried out and the doctor concluded that “the risk of recidivism was [today] low”. "There are currently no risk factors that lead to an increased risk of recurrence," he said. He stressed that the individual was able to reintegrate into society, an opinion shared by the probation officer and the social worker who follow the inmate in prison.
In view of these elements, the court considers that life imprisonment "no longer meets a reasonable objective", so the prisoner must be released. He will be on July 1 after spending 37 years behind bars. He is 59 years old. If he commits another crime, he will be imprisoned again and cannot be released.
6,111 total views
No comments