ROTTERDAM – A 25-year-old man from Curaçao has confessed in court to fatally shooting three men in Rotterdam, stating that he was driven by voices in his head. Experts have concluded that he is significantly mentally impaired and are recommending psychiatric detention.
The case centers on three deadly shootings that took place between December 2024 and January 2025 in the IJsselmonde district. The incidents caused widespread fear at the time, with residents advised not to go outside alone.
The suspect, Sendric Serberi, admitted to targeting random victims and shooting them at close range. According to his statement in court, he has heard a male voice since childhood. Initially, the voice gave simple instructions, but it later escalated to urging him to obtain a weapon and kill people. After the first shooting, the voice allegedly encouraged him to continue.
The first victim, a 63-year-old man, was shot on December 21, 2024, and later died in hospital. A second victim, aged 58, was killed one week later. On January 2, 2025, an 81-year-old man was shot dead on the street, leading to the suspect’s swift arrest.
During the court hearing, relatives of the victims spoke about the devastating impact of the killings. The widow of the oldest victim described her husband as her “support and anchor,” calling the act a senseless act of violence.
An evaluation by the Pieter Baan Center found that the suspect suffers from schizophrenia, has an intellectual disability, and struggles with a cannabis use disorder. Based on these findings, experts consider him to have significantly diminished responsibility.
They have advised the court to impose a measure of psychiatric detention with compulsory treatment (TBS). The court has yet to issue its ruling, while relatives of the other victims are expected to speak at a later stage in the proceedings.