Utrecht, Netherlands – A 52-year-old Turkish national, identified as Yilmaz C., will be deported to Türkiye upon completing his 12-year prison term in the Netherlands for the attempted murder of a 73-year-old woman in the town of Soest.
The Utrecht Court confirmed the deportation order following a sentence handed down for the 2021 attack, in which Yilmaz C. reportedly struck the elderly woman with his car in a premeditated act to receive state-provided care.
The court’s decision included both the prison sentence and a deportation order upon completion of the term, a ruling that has garnered support from the victim’s family. In court statements, prosecutors argued for a harsher 20-year sentence.
However, they ultimately refrained from appealing the 12-year verdict, noting that a longer sentence would prolong Yilmaz C.’s stay in Dutch custody, contradicting the court’s efforts to facilitate his removal from the country.
Planned Attack for State Care
Court documents reveal that Yilmaz C. meticulously planned the crime, motivated by a desire for state care. He reportedly admitted to authorities that he packed a bag for his anticipated prison stay, seeing incarceration as a way to access state support.
“I decided to go to prison because at least there, the state would take care of me,” Yilmaz C. told police. The 73-year-old woman survived the incident, although the attack left lasting trauma.
The family of the victim, particularly her son Ralph de Backer, expressed relief at the deportation order, which he believes prevents his mother’s attacker from exploiting the Dutch justice and welfare system any further.
History of Repeat Offenses
The case has raised alarm due to Yilmaz C.’s criminal history in the Netherlands, which includes a 2002 conviction for murder and another vehicular assault in 2018, in which he intentionally drove his car into pedestrians.
His pattern of violent offenses and efforts to use the Dutch system to his advantage culminated in the 2021 attack, leading to a public outcry for a more stringent approach to handling cases involving repeat offenders.
In 2021, Dutch authorities revoked Yilmaz C.’s residence permit due to his extensive criminal record, leaving him in the country illegally. According to the court, he allegedly continued to stage criminal acts as a means to access state welfare, exploiting loopholes in the system.
Ban from Re-Entering the Netherlands
Following his deportation to Türkiye, Yilmaz C. will be prohibited from re-entering the Netherlands for the next decade. The court implemented this long-term ban to prevent further exploitation of the Dutch legal and welfare system.
The victim’s son, Ralph de Backer, welcomed the decision, asserting that extending his prison term would have rewarded his calculated scheme. “Keeping him here for longer would only mean giving him what he wanted: to exploit the system further. This outcome finally closes that chapter for my family,” De Backer stated.
Warnings from Lawmakers
The case has prompted renewed debate in the Netherlands about handling violent offenders and those who seek to exploit social support systems through repeated criminal activity.
Lawmakers and advocates have called for a closer examination of policies around residency permits and deportations for those with serious criminal records, pointing to the need for a balance between legal rights and protecting public safety.
As Yilmaz C.’s prison term concludes, Dutch officials are expected to oversee his deportation directly, ensuring he cannot return to the Netherlands after his release.