The Public Prosecution Service demanded ten years’ imprisonment and TBS against 31-year-old Jent S. from Egmond on Tuesday in the court in Alkmaar on suspicion of manslaughter of 56-year-old Peter Langenberg from Alkmaar. His naked body was found in the dunes of Egmond aan Zee on Easter Sunday last year. Investigation showed that he had died due to excessive violence.
(Photo: victim Peter Langenberg from Alkmaar)
On Sunday afternoon, April 17, 2022, the North Holland police received a report that a body was found in a dune pan on the beach of Egmond aan Zee, near a gay meeting place. The police immediately assume a crime. Research shows that it concerns 56-year-old Peter Langenberg from Alkmaar. Based on traces on the victim’s body, a DNA match is made with that of a 30-year-old man from Egmond. This Jent S. was arrested as a suspect in April 2022.
Excessive violence
According to the judiciary, there was excessive and intense violence to the victim’s face. In addition, there are indications of strangulation and the victim has sand in his trachea and stomach. Immune damage is absent. The trace image also shows that prior to the outbreak of violence, there were sexual acts between the victim and the suspect. DNA material from the suspect was found on the victim. DNA traces from third parties are missing.
Two assaults
In addition to the manslaughter, the Public Prosecution Service also suspects Jent S. of two assaults: in September 2020 in Noord-Scharwoude and in February 2022 in Alkmaar. In both cases, this concerns assault on a homosexual man involving violence to the face.
The public prosecutor sees a recurring pattern in the three offenses with which the suspect has been charged.
‘The behavior shown by the suspect is calculating. He meets a gay man, engages in sexual acts and then explodes in violence. The file also shows evidence of previous incidents of violence. Throughout the timeline I see a pattern of aggression in combination with the use of alcohol and/or drugs. In a number of cases this leads to very excessive violence.’
The Public Prosecution Service is of the opinion that Jent S. had sex with the victim in the dune pan of Egmond aan Zee, and punched him in the face several times during the sex – or immediately afterwards – and tried to strangle him.
The public prosecutor:
‘Looking at the nature, severity and amount of facial injuries, it can be assumed that death was fully intended. The victim had no time to defend himself. The suspect makes the victim’s personal belongings disappear. To this day, the suspect will not say where those things have gone.’
Based on the statements of behavioral experts, the Public Prosecution Service considers it likely that S. had a mental disorder or poor development of his mental faculties at the time the offenses were committed.
The public prosecutor at the hearing:
‘The victim thought he was having a wonderful day at the beach on the beautiful sunny day of April 17, but was left at his most vulnerable – naked – and beaten to death. The suspect has not been open about what really happened. This makes processing this loss unnecessarily extra difficult for the surviving relatives, and the Public Prosecution Service blames the suspect for this. I also take into account that the event has caused a lot of unrest and fear within the gay community.’
The Public Prosecution Service considers the manslaughter and the two assaults proven and, in addition to a prison sentence of ten years, also demands TBS, despite the fact that the suspect showed an uncooperative attitude and experts found no disorder.
Irresponsible
The public prosecutor calls it ‘irresponsible’ to allow Jent S. to return to society untreated, ‘given the severity of the facts’ and the longer-lasting pattern in which ‘this behavior has been going on for some time’.
The court will make its ruling on November 21.
