Two women are pressing charges against a police officer who kicked one and struck the other with his baton during an arrest at a Utrecht shopping centre on Monday. Their lawyer says the officer also made racist comments, including telling the women "you don't belong in this country."
The incident at the Hoog Catharijne mall, filmed by bystanders and widely shared on social media, has sparked protests and renewed debate about police violence and discrimination in the Netherlands.
What the video shows
In the footage shared by NL Times, a police officer is seen leading a veiled woman away while holding his baton. A second woman follows behind, filming with her phone. The officer turns and kicks her in the stomach. As the first woman appears to pull away, the officer strikes her with his baton. Another video from a different angle shows him hitting her again as she is led toward a police vehicle.
Police say the arrest followed a disturbance involving about twenty people at the shopping centre. According to their account, one of the women insulted and verbally abused an officer who had responded to the incident.
The woman who was struck with the baton, a 23-year-old from De Koog on the island of Texel, was arrested on suspicion of insulting a police officer. A 39-year-old man from Rotterdam was also detained for allegedly trying to prevent the arrest and insulting the officer.
Lawyer calls force "disproportionate"
Anis Boumanjal, the lawyer representing both women, told the current affairs programme Nieuwsuur that his clients had gone to Utrecht to shop. They had been involved in a minor argument with another woman before police intervened, he said, dismissing the dispute as something that "didn't amount to much."
Boumanjal said the officer then approached his clients in an unfriendly manner and ordered them to leave. He described the kick as "disproportionate and unnecessary" and said the woman suffered bleeding as a result. The other woman is still being examined for injuries from the baton strikes. Both are receiving medical treatment.
Claims that one of the women had been involved in shoplifting are "entirely incorrect," the lawyer added.
Boumanjal said the officer made racist remarks before using force, including telling the women they did not belong in the country. The women are filing complaints for assault and attempted aggravated assault.
Photo Credits: Martijn Stoof
Police response
Utrecht police said on Wednesday they were taking the case seriously. "We realise that these images are disturbing and raise questions, including about racism," the force said in a statement.
The incident is being reviewed by the sector head and the police commission on use of force, which is standard procedure when officers use violence. Police said they are examining available footage, including the lead-up to the confrontation.
A police spokesperson said no formal complaints had been filed against the officer at the time of the statement. The officer remains on duty.
Wim Hoonhout, a spokesperson for the Central Netherlands police region, told PowNed that the officer was authorised to use force, though the assessment of whether it was proportionate is still underway.
Expert claims force appears disproportionate
Jair Schalkwijk, a researcher at Erasmus University who studies police violence, told RTL Nieuws that it is difficult to judge the context from the videos alone. But he said the level of force appeared excessive.
"I consider the kick and the use of the truncheon to be disproportionate because the police could have dealt with the incident without using violence," he said.
Dutch police have a monopoly on the legitimate use of force, but are required to use it as a last resort and only to the degree necessary. Officers must first attempt to de-escalate situations through conversation.
Protest in Utrecht
Hundreds of people gathered in Vredenburg Square on Thursday evening to protest what organisers called racist police violence. The demonstration, called by the pro-Palestinian group Utrecht4Palestine under the slogan "Hands off our sisters," later marched to the Paardenveld police station.
Protesters chanted "No justice, no peace" and "No to racist police" and demanded that the officer be suspended and that police publicly apologise. Demonstrators said the incident was not isolated but part of a pattern of discrimination and excessive force.
"Racist violence happens systematically and repeatedly," protesters said, calling for structural reforms within the police.
