WILLEMSTAD - Three officers were acquitted yesterday in a case involving aggravated assault against a civilian. According to the judge, it has not been proven that the officers assaulted the man.
The incident is said to have taken place on February 18, 2017. Police broke up a group of domino players in the Cherasile neighborhood. The players had to clear their dominoes and go home. As the victim was walking home, he saw the patrol car. He was startled and started to run. According to the victim's statements, the officers then got out of the police car and assaulted him.
The victim, a man named Schmidt, wanted these officers to be prosecuted for aggravated assault. However, his statements kept changing.
According to the judge, there is insufficient evidence to confirm the statements of the victim. Moreover, the statements of the eyewitnesses also did not match those of the victim.
The victim maintained that he was punched in the chest. He was also kicked and they dealt with him roughly. The victim did have scratches on his body, but he could also have suffered them during his fall.
The Public Prosecution Service demanded acquittal for two officers. For the third officer, the Public Prosecution Service demanded a community service order of 120 hours and a probation period of one year. The judge also believes that this officer beat the man. Only there would have been no serious assault.
The requested compensation of 10,000 guilders is also not awarded. Two officers had already been convicted in the Outpost case for abuse of power and have been removed from duty. The third officer is still on duty.