General
Prosecutors Demand Nearly 16 Years in Prison and TBS for Dennis van E. in Appeal of 'Abortion Murder'
The Public Prosecution Service has requested a prison sentence of 15 years and nine months, along with compulsory treatment (TBS), against 55-year-old Dennis van E. for the murder of his unborn child and the fatal assault of the mother, 32-year-old Patricia Oliveira dos Santos. Prosecutors allege that Van E. forced Dos Santos to undergo an improvised abortion because he did not want to father a boy, leading to her death from internal bleeding caused by uterine rupture. Although the first-instance court upheld the original demand in June 2024, prosecutors reduced their appeal request by three months due to delays in the case proceedings. Evidence contradicts Van E.'s claim that he was unaware of the birth, showing messages where he explicitly demanded the termination of the pregnancy.
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