Victims seek 9.8 million euros in damages over The Hague explosion that killed six
Victims and relatives of the six people killed in the deadly explosion at Tarwekamp in The Hague in December 2024 are seeking nearly 10 million euros in compensation in the criminal case against four suspects. The court has received 68 compensation claims from individuals, businesses and the municipality of The Hague.
The claims total 7.5 million euros in material damages, including medical expenses and lost income, and 2.3 million euros in non-material damages, such as compensation for emotional trauma and psychological harm. The claimants also want the government to collect the compensation payments.
The claims were briefly discussed by the court on Wednesday. The owner of the bridal shop targeted in the attack also addressed the four suspects in a victim statement, asking her former boyfriend and the alleged mastermind behind the explosion whether he was satisfied with what he had done.
“Was it worth it? Are you satisfied? If this is what you wanted, to completely destroy me, then congratulations, you succeeded,” she said in a recorded audio message.
The woman said she was still living in hiding at an undisclosed address and barely dared to go outside. “My mental health is so bad that I am now on my second psychologist and need intensive treatment,” she said.
She also described feeling guilty about having survived the attack. “Sometimes I think, I wish it had been me,” she said.
Prosecutors believe that Moshtag B., 35, wanted revenge on his former girlfriend because he believed she had been unfaithful. The woman denied the allegation and said the attack was motivated by her decision to end their relationship.
“You did this out of revenge because I ended the relationship, and that is the truth,” she told B. “Nothing gives you the right to do this to me. I had the right to end the relationship. I had the right to move on with my life without being afraid of the consequences.”
Mourad B., 31, and Ilias B., 25, are suspected of carrying out the attack. Adil A., 34, faces a less serious charge and is not suspected of being present during the explosion.
The emotional statements from victims and relatives also appeared to affect the four defendants. A total of 34 people addressed the court on Tuesday and Wednesday about the impact the explosion has had on their lives.
“Your words have deeply, deeply affected me,” Moshtag B. said at the end of Wednesday's hearing. “I realize how much pain, sadness, and suffering I have caused. And I am genuinely sorry. I deeply regret my actions." Mourad B. said he was “deeply ashamed”, while Ilias B. expressed “great regret” about becoming involved in the case.
Adil A., who prosecutors believe played a smaller role in the attack, described the day and a half of victim statements as “the hardest of my entire detention”.
“Shame on you. Do you realise what you have done and how much damage you have caused?” the woman asked the suspects. “These are real lives that you have destroyed.”