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In a surprising lapse of insanity, a Dutch judge has determined the woman who had been charged with the manslaughter of a 19 year old Dutch Moroccan who stole her purse, should be released immediately. As I described here, the woman tried to pursue the thief, but ended up crushing him against a tree.
In the Dutch legal system, a judge determines whether there are enough grounds for a suspect to be held whilst the district attorney tries to make his case. The fact that a judge decided this is not the case is a huge blow for the Dutch DA Office. In the view of many Dutch, the DA Office has of late been overly concerned with politically correct cases, such as the persecution of Dutch Special Forces soldier Eric O., who shot an Iraqi during his tour of duty in the province of Al Mutannah. O. (it's uncommon for Dutch police to release the surname of a suspect) has always maintained the Iraqi, who attempted to loot supplies, was killed by a ricochet. The fact that a judge has decided to set the woman free will probably prove many people right, at least in their own mind.
The woman is not off the hook just yet. The DA has announced she remains a suspect. Indeed, I hope as much as they do that this case will make it to court. My reasons are probably somewhat different, though. It's about time a triumvirate of judges (as is customary with suspects being accused of felonies in the Netherlands) made a ruling about the rights of Dutch citizens when it comes to self defense against criminals.
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