2009 attack on the Dutch royal family

Attack on Dutch Royal Family
Layout of the incident. Red is the path of the car, orange the path of the coach carrying the Royal Family. The car crashed through the crowd at the marker and came to rest against monument De Naald.
Location	Apeldoorn, Netherlands
Coordinates	52°13′40.18″N 5°56′45.79″E
Date	April 30, 2009 (2009-04-30) (National holiday of the Netherlands) 11:50 (UTC+2)
Attack type	Car attack
Deaths	7 (including the attacker)
Injured	17
Perpetrator	Karst Tates

On April 30, 2009, the Dutch national holiday Koninginnedag, a man in the city of Apeldoorn drove his car at high speed into a parade which included Queen Beatrix and other members of the Royal Family.

The driver hit members of the public lining the street, leaving seven dead and 11 injured. The Royal Family was unharmed. It is believed to be the first attack on the Dutch Royal Family in modern times.

The driver, identified as a 38-year-old male Dutch national by the name of Karst Tates, crashed a black Suzuki Swift, into a monument. He was formally arrested at the scene of the crash, rescued by gathered emergency service workers of the fire brigade and police, and taken to hospital for treatment. He died a day after the incident.

Location of the attack

At around 11:50 am, just before an open-top bus carrying the Dutch Royal Family made its last turn towards the palace of Het Loo in Apeldoorn, a black older model Suzuki Swift crashed through the onlookers and slammed into monument De Naald, just missing the royal bus. After the crash, the vehicle was examined by the anti-terrorist department and local police. This search was shown on live TV.

Profile of the attacker

The car used in the attack was driven by a 38-year-old male Dutch national, who was initially rescued by the fire department and subsequently arrested. The driver was identified as Karst Tates from Huissen in the Dutch province of Gelderland, who had previously had no contact with Dutch law enforcement. Tates, who later died, was to be charged under article 108 of Dutch Criminal Law, a rarely used article which deals with attacks on the Royal Family. Additionally, possible charges for murder or manslaughter were also mentioned. Despite attempts to save his life Karst Tates died on May 1 due to brain injuries caused by the crash.

Aftermath

A few hours after the attack Queen Beatrix addressed the nation in an emotional video message.

What started out as a beautiful day, has ended in a terrible drama, which has shocked all of us. People who were standing nearby, who saw it happen on television, all who witnessed it, will have been watching in astonishment and disbelief. We [the Royal Family] are speechless that something so terrible has occurred. My family, myself, but I think every person in the country, feels for the victims, their family and friends and all who have been affected by this accident.

— Queen Beatrix

At a press conference that afternoon police reported that the man, who was still conscious but heavily injured after the accident, had told police that it was a deliberate act aimed at the Royal Family. He had no prior history of psychological problems and there are no indications that any sort of terrorist group was involved. Initial rumours that the car was rigged with explosives were later denied by the police.

Cancelled events

Following the attack, at 12:15 pm local time, it was announced that all planned celebrations in Apeldoorn were cancelled. Later in the day many other events across the Netherlands were also canceled, shortened or toned down significantly; including all activities in Rotterdam and many events in Amsterdam.

External links

• The attack as shown live on Dutch TV