Rotterdam court sentences stalker to fourteen months

The Rotterdam district court sentenced a 42-year-old man to 14 months in prison for years of stalking his former partner.

The context: The dispute stemmed from visitation rights and parental custody over their daughter, which the man had previously lost following an earlier court ruling.

The details:

• He harassed his former partner through repeated calls, letters, unwanted home visits, television appearances, and defamatory social media posts.
• He was also convicted of forgery after writing fake prison reports while incarcerated for arms trafficking to support accusations against her.
• Judges issued a contact ban and a location ban alongside the custodial sentence.

Zoom in: According to newspaper de Volkskrant, the proceedings showed the prolonged campaign caused the victim to develop complex post-traumatic stress disorder, leaving her unable to work.

State of play: The man currently resides in Turkey, and his defense lawyer told the court that he has no intention of returning to the Netherlands.

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