The officer who sprayed a woman with a water cannon during the corona riots in Eindhoven in early 2021 will not be prosecuted. The woman fell with her head against a wall and images of it went viral on social media. The public prosecution office has now decided that there was no intent and is dropping the case against the officer.
On that Sunday, 24 January 2021, things got intense in the city centre of Eindhoven. A large group of rioters sought confrontation with the police during the corona riots. They also caused destruction and looted shops. The police used water cannons, among other things, to restore order.
Decision of the court
In April of this year, the court (Openbaar Ministerie), in Den Bosch already ruled that the officer acted correctly given the circumstances. Camera images showed that the water cannon was aimed at a group of people, accidentally hitting the woman. The court concluded that there was no intent.
On Friday, the public prosecution office confirmed that it agreed with the court’s judgment. Because there was no intent and further investigation is not possible, the case will be dismissed. This means that the officer will not receive a punishment.
Attempted manslaughter
After the incident, the woman reported attempted manslaughter. She stated that she accidentally ended up in the chaos. It later turned out that her boyfriend was involved in the riots and had thrown a chain lock at one of the water cannons. In response, the water cannon was used, hitting the woman.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
