Conviction for violating human rights
Amigoe
11/05/2005

ARUBA – The Netherlands was sentenced to pay Alex Mathew 10.000 euro. Mathew is the man that beat up KIA-governor Ben Vocking in 2001. The
European Court for Human Rights considered Mathew’s complaint legitimate. Mathew said that he had spent the biggest part of his sentence in isolation under inadmissible detention circumstances.

Mathew had battered the then prison governor to such extent that he had to spend a long time in the hospital and he could not return to his job. After the incident, Mathew was put in isolation for seven months. The Common Court of Appeals had already taken these aggravating circumstances into account and lowered the 5-year punishment to 3.5.

The European Court is of the opinion that the isolation period was too long. Besides, the cell he was in didn’t have adequate protection against weather conditions. He couldn’t reach the recreation- and airing place without hurting himself physically. As Mathew was in a wheelchair, the Court indicated that he could have been transferred to a more adequate prison in another part of the Realm.

The sentence has raised many questions in the Lower House. Was there an investigation done on the circumstances in the KIA? The ministers in question indicated that the KIA will be adjusted so that the isolation cells do no longer have to be used as such. The Netherlands has contributed with 25 million Aruban florins to the renovation of the KIA.

[English language original text]