33 cars ablaze during New Year Utrecht
Ton Vanden Bosch looks at the remains of his by vandals torched car. © AD / Marnix Schmidt.
The 33 car fires that Utrecht during the New Year was startled, represents a doubling compared to last year. Experts attribute the cause of the low risk of detection, as demonstrated last year after arson in the same district. ,, In Utrecht they know that you can get away with it. “
© AD / Marnix Schmidt. Although the police and the city of Utrecht speak of a reasonably quiet night ‘truth appears soon after the new year somewhat stubborn. Throughout the town attracted youth groups that a total of 33 cars set ablaze, the owners with a huge cost behind.
the district Hoograven shot youth even extinguishing firefighters with fireworks. These same young people struck while they were fleeing the drummed ME, windows in eight cars in a street away.
Lack of evidence
The cause of the doubling of the number of vehicle fires should be sought in the same district. A year ago Hoograven was immediately after the new year plagued by fourteen vehicle fires. Mayor Van Zanen, who was just appointed, set high in the case. However, there were only two boys eventually convicted, the rest were released for lack of evidence.
,, Those guys have the idea that they are untouchable, “said Hjalmar van Marle, a forensic psychiatrist at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. According to Van Marle know the perpetrators that the probability of detection is low. ,, They are themselves aware that they can get away with it. That goes around the streets, everyone knows that. Something like that plays a major role in this new light. ”
cat and mouse game
Martijn Traas thinks so. He started a year ago Whatsapp group in Hoograven. Local residents it apart to be informed of anything suspicious in the area. ,, Those guys play consciously a cat-and mouse game. They feel untouchable. And that is the sense of security is not good. “
Van Marle blame the copycat. ,, They see doing one group and then follows the other.” According to the ex-director of the Pieter Baan Centre boys do it out of frustration. ,, That car is proof of the wealth which they have not. In France, this is done for years, now we see it gradually in the Netherlands. “
Approach difficult
The question is what to do against these perpetrators. The police that it is difficult to address this kind of vandals. In The Hague, the police several years ago along with the congregation made a plan to reduce the high number of vehicle fires. There were some years ago over a hundred cars torched during the New Year.
The municipality pays the parking garages so residents are free may drop their cars during the New Year. ,, That’s been one of our solutions, “says Wim Hoonhout of the Hague police. ,, Hopefully it is not tradition. ”
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