Algemeen Dagblad
School students jailed in Prague
Two teenage students of Erasmus college in Zoetemeer have been sentenced to 12 months in jail by a court in Prague for robbing a woman while on a school trip in the Czech Republic.
The two boys slipped out from their hostel on the night of 14 May and set upon the woman. She needed hospital treatment after the attack. Their teachers and the police found the two juveniles after a search. They were part of a group of 46 students on the school trip.
The boys' families have attempted to get the defendants released on bail, but the prosecutor in Prague objected. The boys have apologised in writing to the woman and their parents reached a financial settlement with her. The eventual sentence imposed was a light one as neither boy has a criminal record. Robbery with violence in the Czech Republic can attract a 10-year sentence.
The boys' families have reacted with shock to the custodial sentence. "This is a heavy blow, one we had not reckoned with", their spokesman said. The defence lawyer has lodged an appeal against the sentence, but discussions are ongoing about whether to accept it. If they do so, the boys will be allowed to serve the time in the Netherlands. |