THE HAGUE, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The 32-year-old refugee from Syria who stabbed three people in The Hague on May 5, 2018 has been acquitted on Monday of attempted murder and threat with a terrorist purpose.
The judge of Court of The Hague sentenced him to compulsory treatment in a mental institution for an indefinite period. He is not sentenced to jail because the court considers him completely unaccountable.
The court said it is proven that he stabbed three people to kill them and threatened two people with death, but not out of a terrorist motive, or from the desire to frighten the Dutch population, but from his psychotic disorder.
The incident took place at the Johanna Westerdijk square in The Hague on Dutch Liberation Day last year. The man stabbed three people with a knife and was arrested after being shot in the leg by the police. At that time the police stated that the man was known to the police for confused behavior, but not for terrorism.
Therefore he was at first only suspected of threatening and attempted murder, with a possible terrorist intent being investigated. According to some witnesses, the suspect had shouted "Allahu Akbar", meaning God is greater, during the incident.
After the incident the public prosecutor revealed that the police had received an anonymous letter in March 2018 with a warning that the man had plans to commit a terrorist attack. This letter was also shared with experts of the municipality of The Hague and the General Intelligence and Security Service of the Netherlands (AIVD). At that time this anonymous letter, without further confirmation from the investigation, was no reason for an arrest or to mark the man as a potential terrorist.
Then the court in The Hague added the suspicion of attempted murder and threat with a terrorist purpose in July last year. The lawyer of the Syrian refugee has always stated that his client had no terrorist motive.
