ROTTERDAM – A 40-year-old man from Curaçao has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, with six months suspended, for using extreme violence during a fight on the Kruiskade in Rotterdam. The court also imposed a two-year probation period.
The violent incident occurred in the early morning of Saturday, June 29, 2024, when a brawl broke out between two groups. The situation quickly escalated, and surveillance footage showed one of the individuals being struck on the head and collapsing to the ground unconscious. According to the judge, the victim fell "like a rag doll."
The footage then captured the convicted man running toward the unconscious victim and violently kicking him in the head as if it were a soccer ball. He returned to deliver another kick to the head before jumping with both feet and his full body weight onto the victim's head.
Police arrived on the scene and managed to break up the fight. Thanks to the surveillance footage, the suspects were quickly identified and arrested.
The court ruled that the suspect used excessive violence and knowingly took the risk that his actions could have killed the victim. The judge emphasized that the head is an extremely vulnerable part of the body and that such forceful blows could be fatal.
The Public Prosecution Service charged the man with attempted manslaughter and aggravated assault. His defense attorney argued for acquittal on the attempted manslaughter charge, claiming there was no intent to kill. She also pointed out the absence of a medical report on the victim’s condition, arguing that the severity of the injuries was not established.
The court dismissed this defense, stating that the video footage alone was sufficient to conclude that the actions were life-threatening, even in the absence of a medical report.