Mayor goes public: Pim Fortuyn's killer is living in Apeldoorn

Volkert van der Graaf, who served 12 years in jail for murdering populist politician Pim Fortuyn, is living in the centre of Apeldoorn, the city’s mayor said in a letter to locals.

The Telegraaf published the letter on Wednesday, ahead of an information evening for residents. It is not clear why the mayor, John Berends, decided to brief people that Van der Graaf was living in their midst.

In the letter Berends states: ‘I have decided to cooperate with housing Van der G in Apeldoorn. I am aware of the impact of this decision and I think it important to inform you about this by letter.’ He goes on to state that he has taken the impact on public order and safety into account, which he is responsible for as mayor.

Van der Graaf was jailed for 18 years for murdering Fortuyn in 2002 and was released last month after serving two-thirds of his sentence, in line with Dutch law. He is subject to constant monitoring via electronic tagging.

Source: dutchnews.nl