Upon hearing her verdict, the 15-year-old girl who stabbed a man to death in January was reportedly callous, “remorseless”, and “laughing”.
Not only that, but a secret recording of the convicted girl and her friend speaking about the murder victim with “contempt” left the court appalled and disgusted, the AD reports.
A long-held grudge
Apparently, the teenager responsible already had a longstanding history of animosity towards the man and his wife, who were owners of a snackbar in The Hague.
For instance, during the pandemic, when asked to show their Corona passes, the girl and her friends refused and then went on to throw food as well as beat up the couple.
Then again, in the summer of 2022, the girl was physically removed from the premises after she had tossed a bottle of water near the deep fryer.
Murder for no reason
In late January of this year, the pre-existing tensions escalated to full-blown murder.
Video footage recorded by the perpetrator’s 17-year-old friend shows snackbar owners Wei and Xiao Chen making their way home after closing up shop for the night.
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After a verbal confrontation, which prompted the couple to be pushed, punched, and kicked by the group of teenagers, 39-year-old Wei Chen was stabbed to death by the 15-year-old girl for no discernible reason.
Sentenced to 12 months
The same girl, who was previously convicted of stabbing her own brother in the leg, was sentenced to 12 months in juvenile detention and psychiatric treatment for the murder.
Her 17-year-old brother, who assisted in the assault of Chen, has also been sentenced to juvenile detention and 6 months in prison. Together, the siblings owe €96,000 worth of damages.
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In justifying the sentence, the court referred to the girl and her brother’s troubled upbringing. Familial neglect from an early age apparently caused the children to develop “antisocial and narcissistic traits”, which have only escalated over the years.
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The sentence wasn’t just, by any means. The murderer should, at the least, have received a life sentence without possibility of parole. It’s also high time the Dutch Courts publish photographs of convicted criminals, regardless of their age.
She will kill again, until she’s locked up for life.