Status: 07/07/2021 5:12 a.m.
The well-known crime journalist Peter R. de Vries was critically injured in shots in the heart of Amsterdam. Three suspects were arrested. But who is behind the attack?
The country was deeply shocked by an assassination attempt on the prominent Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries. After the arrest of three suspects, the police are hoping to clarify the matter quickly. Prime Minister Mark Rutte spoke of an “attack on free journalism” that night. The royal couple reacted “deeply shocked” from Berlin.
“Journalists must be able to do their important work freely and without threat,” write King Willem-Alexander and his wife Máxima on Facebook. The couple is currently paying a state visit to Germany.
The reporter was gunned down in the street while leaving a TV studio and was critically injured. The police said he was taken to the hospital with a shot in the head. “Peter R. de Vries is fighting for his life,” said the mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, deeply dismayed.
Background still unclear
According to the police, three suspects were arrested, including the suspected shooter. But nothing has been communicated about the background of the crime. A special commission was set up.
Police officers investigate in the Leidseplein in the center of Amsterdam.
Image: dpa
The journalist is currently the confidante of the key witness in a large trial against organized crime. He is also known internationally for his reports of spectacular crimes.
Land is horrified
The attack shocked the country, and TV stations reported on the crime in special programs. Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus met with the anti-terrorism agency. Politicians from several parties and the journalists’ union reacted with horror.
The act happened around 7.30 p.m. According to eyewitnesses, a stranger fired several shots at the journalist. He had just left a TV studio at Leidseplein in the center of Amsterdam. Witnesses recognized the victim. Photos and videos on social media show that de Vries was seriously injured on the ground.
Assassination attempt on journalist Peter de Vries
Morning magazine, 7/7/2021
Reporter with an international reputation
De Vries is the leading crime reporter in the Netherlands and regularly appears as a spokesperson for victims or witnesses at trials. He is also a regular guest on TV talk shows. The reporter became internationally known in 1987 with his bestseller about the kidnapping of the brewer Freddy Heineken. In 2008 he won an Emmy Award for reporting on the Natalee Holloway case. The American disappeared in Aruba in 2005 and was believed to have been killed by a Dutchman.