What began as a property dispute in the peaceful village of Weiteveen ended in a tragic double murder. Now, the victims’ relatives are out for justice.
Murderer Richard K. had been locked in a long, bitter feud with the victims (Sam and Ineke) over the sale of his former childhood home.
On the morning of January 16, 2024, the conflict reached its tipping point, with K. murdering the couple in cold blood.
Although K. was sentenced to life in prison last month, the victims’ relatives say that justice came a little too late, with police negligence allowing the situation to spiral into deadly violence.
It was premeditated murder
As reported by the NOS, K. first shot Ineke while she sat in her car.
Then, he entered the couple’s home and fatally stabbed Sam in front of the man’s 12-year-old son.
Although K. claimed he acted out of fear and only wanted to protect his family from Sam’s threats, police confirm that this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment act.
Not only did the killer turn off all the hidden cameras he used to spy on Sam and Ineke’s house, but he also left written instructions for his family in case they didn’t see him again.
As a result, the judge ruled that K. was wholly accountable for the crime and not eligible for a reduced sentence.
Dutch police ignored over 80 complaints
Now, Sam and Ineke’s family says the police should have stepped in long before things reached this point.
According to RTL Nieuws, the couple had filed more than 80 complaints about Richard’s threatening and unstable behaviour. But despite all those warnings, nothing was done to protect them.
“Based on the information available, we should have revoked his hunting license and confiscated his licensed weapons,” said Martin Sitalsing, police chief of the Northern Netherlands unit, in a police news bulletin.
“We, as police, have not achieved our professional standards. I find that particularly painful, and I regret it,” he continued.
Through their lawyers, Sébas Diekstra and Maaike de Vries, the couple’s relatives are now sending an official letter to the police, holding them liable for the murders.
They argue that this inaction amounts to an “unlawful act’’ and are demanding accountability, because they believe this tragedy could have been avoided.
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