Today the Dutch justice system delivered, as expected, a very lenient sentence in the Fortuyn case, sentencing assassin Van der Graaf to 18 years in prison. This effectively means that the killer will walk after having served two-thirds of his sentence, less any time spent in jail. In other words he'll be free in 2014. Needless to say, many were deeply disappointed by this sentence especially in light of the prosecution demanding a life sentence given the seriousness of the murder and the fact that it disrupted the democratic process in The Netherlands. Apparently, the judge did not accept the prosecution's argument that damage was done to democracy, nor did he believe that there was a chance of repetition. The judges also felt that there was a good chance for rehabilitation.

It seems to me that the judge has ignored the serious and premeditated nature of the murder and is underestimating the fact that such a light sentence sends an absolutely wrong message to other fanatics or potential murderers in society. And, I believe there is a case for repeat crimes, the killer is a cold blooded radical showing no signs of, or feelings of, remorse and may well be drawn into radical circles again. The family was deeply hurt that the judge had accepted Van der Graaf's defence and are hoping that the prosecution will appeal the sentence.