1. Psychosocial care, safety and legal aspects after a shooting incident
Sjaak de Gouw
October 4th, 2016

2. Content The incident Important moments and phases in psychosocial care
Safety, investigation and legal aspects
Confrontation and experiences of involved people
Conclusions and recommendations

3. Saturday, 6th april 2009

4. Aspects of psychosocial care 1
Psychosocial teams on the site and in the police office
Individual contact persons and assessment by Victim Support Netherlands
Memorial meeting after three weeks with royal family and MP
Fellow sufferers meetings throughout first years

5. Aspects of psychosocial care 2
Memorial meetings after 1 – 5 years
Contact persons / desk within municipality in first four months
Investigation committee after criticism concerning municipal and psychosocial care
Financial problems by shop-keepers
Individual problems, far beyond direct impact of incident

6. Safety, investigation and juridical aspects 1
Search for accomplices during first half hour
Elaborate a full-scale police research as if the perpetrator was alive
Victim identification ‘by the book’, resulting in
Victims stayed visible until deep in the night
Names were available on Sunday afternoon
Gathering the most involved people in the police office and questioning them as witnesses

7. Safety, investigation and juridical aspects 2
Reticent and defensive in information about arms permit
Law suit against police and municipality. Arms permit should never have been given
Public prosecutors office was present in the policy team after one hour, but was absent in the aftercare-team that was formed after 3 days

8. Confrontation and experiences
“I recognized him by his shoes and trousers”
Briefing of most involved restricted, because their testimony could be corrupted
Names of most involved (witnesses) were not available for health research and invitations
‘Don’t talk with the committee, it can harm your case’
“It should be over after 4 months”
“I can’t accept the situation as long as the legal procedure is not over”

9. Conclusions and recommendations
In general: discuss the situation in the first hours and ascertain a clear policy in the policy-team
Include the Director PH in the ‘triangle’ (mayor, police, PPO)
Learn your lessons from the different incidents
Reflect on the impact of police-actions on psychosocial care
Apply the rules and procedures with common sense and moral compass
Realize that the incident is the straw that can break the camel’s back