The Prosecutor came down hard on 46-year-old Colombian man living in Aruba, E.B.C., who stabbed his partner E.M. three times with a knife.
It was understood that the Prosecutor considers E.B.C. guilty of attempted murder and demanded a 5-year prison sentence.
Present in the courtroom were E.B.C.’s ex-partner E.M., their three children, and family members of both E.M. and E.B.C.
WOMAN STABBED IN THE THROAT AND ABDOMEN
The Prosecutor accuses E.B.C. of attempting to kill and assault E.M. on February 11, 2026. E.B.C. stabbed E.M. with a knife, twice in the throat and once in the abdomen. The Prosecutor also charges E.B.C. with attempted grievous bodily harm.
The Judge stated that E.B.C. admitted to the stabbing. The Judge asked E.B.C. why he did it. Crying, E.B.C. told the Judge that at that moment he was not conscious of what he had done. The Judge mentioned that the police and psychiatrist asked E.B.C. what caused him to become so aggressive and stab E.M. Weeping, E.B.C. said he was feeling depressed. E.B.C. went on to say that he felt he had lost his family and that life was not worth it. The Judge noted that they had been together for 20 years and had even gone to therapy, but the victim, E.M., had decided to divorce him.
The Judge asked what happened on the night of February 11, 2026. According to E.B.C., it was around 3:00 a.m. and E.M. had not yet arrived home. E.B.C. said he was sending text messages on his cell phone, but E.M. was not replying. This made him think that E.M. might be with another man. At that time, their three children (two boys and a girl) were asleep at home. E.B.C. stated that when E.M. arrived home, the bedroom doors were locked. He did not want E.M. to enter the bedroom where he and their daughter were. When E.M. knocked on the bedroom door, E.B.C. opened it and asked where she was coming from. E.M. said nothing, and at that moment E.B.C. lost his mind.
SON PUSHES HIS FATHER WHO STABBED HIS MOTHER
He said he does not remember what happened and only came to his senses when his son started shouting. The son heard shouting, ran into the bedroom, and saw his father E.B.C. with a knife in his hand and his mother covered in blood. The son pushed E.B.C., who then told his son to call an ambulance because he was scared. E.M. suffered 2 stab wounds to the neck and one to the side of the abdomen. Crying, E.B.C. told the Judge that he deeply regrets what happened.
The Judge stated that the police received a call regarding a fight involving a stabbing. At the house, police saw E.M. covered in blood along with a bloody napkin. E.B.C. went outside, and the oldest son, in a hysterical state, told the police that his father had stabbed his mother 3 times with a knife. Police observed blood on the floor inside the house and recovered the knife. The other son and the daughter were also inside the house. The oldest son stated that there had been problems between his father and mother and that they were planning to separate. At around 3:10 a.m., he woke up due to shouting. When he went into the bedroom, he saw his mother lying bleeding on the bed and his father standing in front of her. The mother told her son that E.B.C. had stabbed her 3 times. At that point, the son pushed the father.
The mother, E.M., told police that she had gone to a friend’s party and upon arriving home, she went to the bedroom. As she was taking off her trousers, E.B.C. stabbed her with a knife. The Judge showed a photograph of the knife, noting that it was quite large and sharp. The Judge asked how the knife came to be in the bedroom. According to E.B.C., he went to eat an orange in the bedroom and used the knife, leaving it on the bedside table around 1:00 a.m. The Judge noted that security camera footage shows E.B.C. walking into the bedroom with a knife at 2:45 a.m. According to E.B.C., he went to eat an orange.
The Judge mentioned that, according to the medical report, E.M. sustained a stab wound to the side of the neck, one to the front of the neck, and one to the abdomen. Emergency abdominal surgery was required to prevent internal damage.
In response to the Prosecutor’s questions, E.B.C. admitted that on one occasion he went to spy on E.M. after work to see if she was leaving with another man. The Prosecutor asked E.B.C. several questions about the knife. According to E.B.C., he does not remember stabbing E.M. in the neck and abdomen. The Judge pointed out that E.B.C. has already spent 206 days detained in KIA (Correctional Facility Aruba).
VICTIM DOES NOT WANT THE ACCUSED PUNISHED
The victim, E.M., tearfully told the Judge that she forgives E.B.C. At that moment, E.B.C. could be seen hanging his head and crying. E.M. stated that they have three children, but at a certain point things were not going well and she decided to divorce him. She asked the Judge not to punish E.B.C. harshly. She added that she had withdrawn all complaints against E.B.C. so that he could be with his children sooner. E.M. expressed that she wants peace of mind for herself and her children. The children and family members could be seen crying. The Judge decided to recess the case for 10 minutes due to the high emotional tension in the courtroom.
PSYCHIATRIST DEEMS THE ACCUSED RESPONSIBLE
After the break, the proceedings resumed, and the Judge noted that according to the psychiatrist, E.B.C. could not control himself, but he remains legally responsible for his actions. The psychiatrist suggests that it would be beneficial for E.B.C. and his family to receive guidance from Probation Services (Reclassering) to navigate the divorce process. When asked by the Judge, E.B.C. stated that everything indicates they must get a divorce. Defense attorney Mr. Arends Marchena informed the Judge that they are already divorced but decided to wait on the outcome of the criminal case to settle custody and matters concerning the children.
PROSECUTOR DEMANDS HARSH PENALTY
The Prosecutor told the Judge that this is a tragic case where domestic violence spiraled completely out of control. They had been together for almost 20 years, with relationship problems persisting for a long time, and E.B.C. suspected E.M. of having another partner. The Prosecutor stated that on the day of the incident, E.M. attended a party and arrived home around 3:00 a.m. E.B.C. asked her where she had been, and in a fit of rage, grabbed a knife and stabbed her three times—twice in the neck and once in the abdomen. The Prosecutor emphasized that due to the abdominal stab wound, E.M. had to be hospitalized. Furthermore, the neck and abdomen are vital parts of the body where fatal injury can easily be inflicted. In the Prosecutor’s opinion, the fact that emergency abdominal surgery was necessary highlights the severity of the case. Given the nature of the stabs (two to the throat, one to the abdomen), E.B.C. knowingly took the risk of attempting murder. The Prosecutor argued that anger does not exempt someone from responsibility, noting the psychiatrist’s conclusion that E.B.C. is responsible for his actions. The Prosecutor considers it legally proven that E.B.C. is guilty of attempted murder, highlighting that the stabbing occurred at home while the children were present, deeply affecting the entire family.
DEMAND FOR 5 YEARS IN PRISON
Regarding sentencing, the Prosecutor noted that this is E.B.C.’s first brush with the law and factored in the psychiatrist’s assessment of responsibility. The Prosecutor also reviewed High Court (Hof) sentencing precedents for similar cases, stating a combined sentence is not appropriate. Although sympathetic to the victim’s plea in court, the Prosecutor stressed that a clear message must be sent to society that such incidents will not be tolerated, thereby demanding a 5-year prison sentence. Upon hearing this, E.B.C. bowed his head again and began to cry.
DEFENSE ARGUMENTS
Defense attorney Mr. Arends Marchena told the Judge that after a 20-year relationship, E.M.’s decision to divorce due to marital issues—in a family with three children—severely impacted E.B.C., who did not know what else to do amidst suspicions of infidelity. On the night of February 11, 2026, when she arrived at 3:00 a.m., he lost his mind and stabbed her. However, the moment his son entered the bedroom and pushed him, he realized what he had done and urged his son to call an ambulance and the police. The defense attorney cited a recent Dutch court ruling in a similar case where the victim asked the court for leniency and the offender was sentenced to 24 months in prison. The attorney asked the Judge to take this into account, respecting the victim E.M.’s request to reduce the sentence so E.B.C. can be reunited with his children.
The Judge closed the case proceedings and announced that the verdict will be delivered on September 18.