Family of Rens (25) stabbed to death by neighbor points to authorities: “Why didn’t anyone respond properly?”

How is it possible that authorities did not respond properly to signals regarding the suspect in the fatal stabbing in Robert Scottstraat? It is the question that the family of 25-year-old Rens asked today during the substantive hearing of the case, in which Rens died and his housemate was seriously injured. The Public Prosecution Service demands 15 years in prison and TBS with compulsory treatment against Tolga Ö. (36) for the stabbing.

On Tuesday, August 1 last year, things went terribly wrong in Robert Scottstraat in West. Around 8:45 am, two housemates were suddenly attacked by their confused upstairs neighbor who had entered their home. He used a kitchen knife 19 centimeters long.

25-year-old Rens died after being stabbed several times in the neck, chest and liver. His 29-year-old roommate survived, but was seriously injured. After the attack, the neighbor stood on the balcony with bloody clothes and brandishing the knife, while the neighbors tried to help the seriously injured victim.

‘Didn’t have a chance’

Today relatives came to the criminal case against suspect Tolga Ö., where they exercised their right to speak. While the suspect looked them straight in the face, the family talked about their son, who suddenly and without cause found himself in a struggle between life and death.

“Rens didn’t have a chance,” his father concludes. “The gruesomeness and senselessness of his murder is incomprehensible. The question why continues to play in my mind. Why has no one responded adequately to signals that have been received by the authorities several times?”

The family believes there should be a new policy regarding confused people. Several complaints had already been received about the suspect, but the situation was still dismissed by authorities as a neighbor dispute, resulting in a fatal stabbing.

“This would not have happened if mental health care was better,” explains the lawyer for the relatives. “Let Rens’ death be meaningful as an impetus for improvement.”

Conspiracy theorist

Tolga Ö. was present during the hearing and answered questions from the court. This made it especially clear that Ö. thinks he is in on a conspiracy and is the victim of a conspiracy. He calls it a political process and does not address the substantive questions.

A statement from a family member of the suspect states that he thought the downstairs neighbor had been hired by the Dutch government and was following him with cameras. During the speaking time of relatives, Ö. often from the back of the room. He looks the relatives straight in the eyes and grins.

The Pieter Baan Center suspects a psychotic disorder in the suspect, who also experiences delusions. The chance of recidivism is high, so their advice is: TBS with compulsory treatment.

The Public Prosecution Service believes that the suspect cannot be declared completely incompetent, but reduced in insanity. This is because, according to them, the suspect was aware of his actions and who he had stabbed to death. In addition to TBS with compulsory treatment, they also demand a prison sentence of 15 years.

The impact is great for local residents and witnesses of the tragedy. A local resident saw her neighbor on the balcony waving a knife from her balcony. “So I went to take a look and I saw the neighbor running across the street bleeding, I saw that the neighbor was standing on his balcony with a knife and a bloody shirt. That was very drastic. You are sad and you are anxious and you try to actually deal with it as best as possible,” says the woman.

The suspect’s lawyer resigned after the demand. He did not give a reason.