AMSTERDAM (JTA) — A Muslim man who was charged with trying to kill a Jewish father and son at an Amsterdam market was found not criminally responsible for his actions and sent for psychological care.
A Dutch judge ruled that Taha Ewis Bakri Abdel Ghani suffered from delusions, heard voices and experienced a psychosis at the time of the March 16 stabbing incident at the Albert Cuyp Market, the NIW Jewish paper reported Monday. The judge based the ruling on a psychiatric report.
The ruling follows several recent cases in Western Europe involving Muslim men who assaulted Jews and were deemed unfit to stand trial.
Abdel Ghani was charged with manslaughter in the stabbings of Martin Colmans and his son Sharon, who were lightly and moderately injured, respectively. The Colmans and Abdel Ghani owned neighboring stores in the market.
According to the Colmans, Abdel Ghani assaulted them following weeks in which he would read the Quran at the entrance to his store and leer at them.
During the first hearing in the case, in September, the Colmans asked the judge to consider a religious or racist motive, which was not included in the indictment.
NIW editor-in-chief Esther Voet wrote on Twitter that the ruling made her “furious.”
Last week, a judge in Paris upheld an earlier ruling excusing of criminal penalty a man who in 2017 killed his Jewish neighbor while shouting about Allah and calling her a demon. That defendant said he had smoked too much marijuana to control himself.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
