WILLEMSTAD - Ashton Lake, sentenced to life in prison, will be released on July 1. The court ruled today that he no longer has to serve his sentence for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of a 5-year-old girl in Sint Maarten. Lake spent 38 years in prison for his crimes. The chance that he will commit another crime, psychologists consider small. That's why Lake can return to society. He will be deported to Anguilla on July 1, 2022. If he commits another offence, he must still serve his sentence.
On June 1, 2015, an amendment to the Criminal Code took place. Since then, people sentenced to life in prison can be released after twenty-five years in prison. This release is subject to conditions. In 2018, three years later, the court started the review procedure in this case. This procedure took a total of almost four years.
During this time, several experts, including a psychiatrist and a psychologist, reported on Lake. They consider the chance that he will commit a crime again small. In making its decision, the court also considered the feelings of the relatives. They do not agree with his release, because of the suffering he caused them. The court has not attached any decisive significance to this. According to the court, the aspect that the relatives wish that he would never be released cannot be a reason to continue to punish Lake after such a long detention period and with a low risk of recidivism.