Sentenced to Suraj A.: 12 years in prison for killing family

If it is up to the justice system, Suraj A. will be behind bars for 12 years. The 30-year-old man is suspected of killing a young Rotterdam family on Boxing Day 2022. Officially, the charges are: manslaughter of three people and driving under the influence.

Emotions in the courtroom

A. was present in court for the first time today. He was transferred from the Penitentiary Institution (PI) Dordrecht, where he has been staying for some time now. The 30-year-old suspect said he stayed away from previous hearings because of the injuries he sustained in the accident in December 2022.

Family members of the deceased Dende (35), Junior (36) and Lala (7) were also present in the courtroom. Emotionally, they turned to the suspect. “You have destroyed our family,” he said. As well as, “You destroyed our entire family.”

Suraj also spoke. He said he remembers little about the accident (or the hours before) and stated that he himself ended up in ‘a nightmare’. He was willing to take responsibility, but only as ‘a person involved in the accident’, not as a perpetrator.

With alcohol on through red

However, it is not without reason that the justice department demands a 12-year prison sentence. According to research, A. raced across the road at speeds between 134 kilometers per hour and 170 kilometers per hour. While the maximum speed there was 80 kilometers per hour. Just before the accident, the Rotterdam family got the green light and Suraj A. ran through the red light. A’s Volkswagen Polo hit the family car in the right side. The three family members were thrown from the vehicle. It turned out to be a fatal blow.

After the accident, officers smelled alcohol in the car of suspect Suraj A. An empty bottle containing an alcoholic beverage was also found in the car. A. blew a blood alcohol level of 1.53 (the maximum for experienced drivers is 0.5 blood alcohol).

A. stated that he hardly drinks. Sometimes one or two drinks (these numbers are approximately equal to 0.5 per mille). He had no explanation for the bottle of alcohol in the car or his high blood alcohol level. In addition to 12 years in prison, the Public Prosecution Service also demands a driving ban of 10 years. A decision will be made in the case in 2 weeks.