WILLEMSTAD – A 19-year-old hotel employee in Otrobanda has been sentenced to 80 hours of community service and a one-month suspended prison sentence after admitting that he stole $1,741 from a guest's room safe. The court delivered its verdict on Wednesday, taking into account the defendant's young age, lack of a criminal record, and the three days he had already spent in police custody.
The young man worked at the hotel and was responsible for replenishing minibars in guest rooms. According to the court proceedings, he used the opportunity to steal money after discovering that a guest had left a safe open.
The theft came to light when the hotel guest noticed that the money was missing and immediately alerted hotel staff.
Hotel security personnel subsequently reviewed surveillance footage from the corridor outside the room. The recordings showed that the 19-year-old employee had been the only person to enter the room during the relevant period.
Police were contacted and arrested the employee. Officers recovered the stolen money directly from him, and he remained in custody for three days.
During Wednesday's court hearing, the defendant admitted taking the money.
He explained that he had entered the room to carry out his regular duties of restocking the minibar. Upon noticing that the safe was open, he decided to take the cash.
The Public Prosecutor's Office considered the theft proven and requested a three-month suspended prison sentence combined with 120 hours of community service.
The prosecutor emphasized that the defendant had violated the guest's property rights and stressed that he had no right to take belongings that did not belong to him.
The judge agreed that the evidence established the defendant's guilt but imposed a lighter sentence than the prosecution had requested.
In determining the punishment, the court considered several mitigating circumstances, including the defendant's age, his previously clean criminal record, and the three days he had already spent in pretrial detention.
The judge ultimately sentenced him to one month in prison, suspended for a probationary period of three years, and ordered him to complete 80 hours of community service.
The suspended sentence means that the young man will not have to serve the one-month prison term unless the conditions attached to the sentence are violated during the probation period.
The case highlights the importance of trust and responsibility in the hospitality industry, where hotel employees routinely have access to guest rooms and personal belongings.
The identity of the hotel was not disclosed in the information provided about the court proceedings.