According to forensic expert Sonja Veldthuis, the much-discussed ‘Coolsingelvinger’ could play a role in a criminal case. Veldthuis therefore finds it not surprising that the police confiscated the amputated limb, which has become a symbol of the excesses during the Rotterdam riot night of 19 November, and sent it to the forensic lab.
Sonja Veldthuis of the National Forensic Investigation Agency: ,,I can imagine that it will first have to be established factually that the finger does indeed belong to the victim, and that it may also be checked whether the fingerprint is in Havank, the database of the police. . It contains all fingerprints of suspects and convicts.”
According to Veldthuis, the fact that the victim lost his finger may say something about his or her involvement in the riots that even made the foreign press last month. “Why and how was this person injured? And yes, of course it can be an innocent passer-by, but given the nature of the riots, that was of course not said in advance. The finger could therefore possibly be evidence in a criminal case.”
It may sound a bit outlandish, but according to Veldthuis it would certainly not be the first time that an injury to a hand has played a role in a lawsuit. For example, it was a factor in a 2018 lawsuit about a bombing raid in Amsterdam, in which a criminal lost part of his hand by using explosives. The fact that part of his hand was missing was one of the pieces of evidence in the case.
Muscles
Police would not say whether the owner of the finger has been arrested and/or is being prosecuted. When asked, the police only let you know that the owner ‘came into the picture’ during the riot itself and that it was not possible to attach the finger again. The spokesperson: ,, The victim is known to us and received assistance in the evening. Because his phalanx was only found later, it could unfortunately no longer be ‘reunited’ with the victim.”
Plastic surgeon Tjeerd de Jong reacts with surprise to the word ‘later’ in the sentence: ‘Because his finger was only found later, it could no longer be reunited’. According to De Jong, a specialist in hand and wrist surgery, a finger can be put back relatively long after an amputation. “It is obviously better to do such a ‘replantation’ as soon as possible, but attaching a finger to a hand is even possible 16 to 24 hours after an accident. That is because there are few muscles in a finger and muscles die quickly.”
In order for an operation to be successful, it is important to keep the limb in the right way. De Jong: ,,People sometimes think that it is best to put it in their mouth, but that is not a good place: too warm, too many bacteria. It is better to put it in a plastic bag and put that bag in a bag of water.” During the chaotic night on the Coolsingel, it would have been best for De Jong to take it to the emergency services. “In an ambulance they know exactly what to do with it.”
Fireworks
Forensic expert Sonja Veldthuis is surprised that many have filmed and photographed the finger, which was bleeding on the sidewalk, and that nobody thought of ‘saving’ the limb. “The moment you find a bleeding finger, it doesn’t seem logical to me that you just let it go. You could at least draw the attention of a counselor to it.” Based on the photos, plastic surgeon De Jong virtually rules out an injury from fireworks. “Then there is often not much left of a finger.”
Reporters and columnists such as Linda Akkermans and Wessel Penning paid attention to the gruesome find. Comedians Niels van der Laan and Jeroen Woe (from TV program Until here) even saw in the limb a symbolic ‘middle finger to care’. One of the circulating videos shows ‘live’ that police officers discover the limb on a zebra crossing on the Coolsingel.
Orgy Of Violence
Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb called the riots, which followed a corona demonstration, ‘an orgy of violence’. Officers fired and rioters rioted with fireworks, steel pipes and stones. Officers and rioters were injured and 49 people were arrested that night. Rioters have already been sentenced through summary justice.
For a reconstruction, we would like to get in touch with people who know more about the incident. Comments please send to [email protected]
Watch our videos about the 2G riots in Rotterdam below:
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