The Rotterdam District Court has cleared a 31-year-old Dutch national of plotting to kidnap Princess Amalia and Princess Alexia, the two eldest daughters of King Willem-Alexander. After months in pretrial detention, the defendant was acquitted for lack of concrete evidence tying him to any actionable plan.
Prosecutors had alleged that the suspect used encrypted messaging apps to coordinate a kidnapping scheme aimed at securing a ransom. Authorities cited references to “royal targets” in a private chat group, but the court found these remarks to be vague and speculative rather than proof of intent.
- Date of arrest: December 2025, following a tip from the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism.
- Charges: conspiracy to commit kidnapping and endangering the royal family.
- Key evidence: chat logs on an encrypted platform, which the defence argued were taken out of context.
- Verdict: acquittal on all counts due to insufficient proof of planning or capability.
During the three-day trial, defence lawyers emphasized that their client’s messages were part of idle speculation rather than a genuine plot. They pointed out a lack of practical preparations—no weapons purchases, no surveillance of royal residences, and no financial means to carry out an abduction.
Presiding Judge Marlies van Dijk noted in her ruling that while some comments in the chat group were “disturbing,” they fell short of establishing a criminal conspiracy. “There must be evidence of steps taken toward execution,” she said. “In this case, such evidence is absent.”
The suspect, who is now free, expressed relief at the verdict. “I have never intended harm,” he told reporters outside the courthouse. “I regret the fear my words caused, but they were never the beginning of a real plan.”
Security services have indicated they will review the case to improve their handling of online extremist chatter. The Public Prosecution Service is also considering whether to appeal the verdict to a higher court.