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Shop The Wolfe Clinic - The Royal Family Of Products - The Royal Family shopthewolfeclinic.com | Aid Photos Royal T, August 27, 2009 twc-wla.org | June 2009 Newsletter | The April Center for Anxiety Attack Management, kickfear.com |
The 2009 attack on the Dutch Royal Family occurred in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, where a man drove his car at high speed into a parade which included Queen Beatrix and other members of the Dutch royal family; the attack happened on April 30, the Dutch national holiday of Koninginnedag (or Queen's Day). The vehicle drove through people lining the street watching the parade, leaving eight[1][3][4] dead and ten injured. It narrowly missed the royal family and crashed into a monument at the side of the road. No members of the royal family were harmed. This attack was the first attack on the Dutch royal family in modern times.[5] The driver, identified as 38-year-old Dutch national Karst Roeland Tates,[6] was looked after by emergency service workers of the fire brigade and police, taken into custody and transported to the hospital for treatment. He died the day after the incident, the seventh person to succumb to injuries suffered during the attack.[7] A 46-year-old woman died from her injuries on 8 May 2009, bringing the total number of deaths to eight.[1] 
[edit] 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, just missing the bus carrying the royals, and slammed into De Naald (or The Needle), a royal monument.[8] After the crash, the vehicle was examined by the anti-terrorist department and local police. The attack and search were shown on live TV.[9] Minutes after the attack Red Cross first aiders were on site to provide the basic life saving treatments to the 17 victims, who were all taken to nearby hospitals. [edit] Profile of the attackerThe car was driven by Karst R. Tates (6 March 1971[10] –Deventer, 1 May 2009[11]), a 38-year-old male Dutch national. After the attack, he was rescued by the fire department and transferred to a hospital, where he later died of brain injuries sustained in the attack.[8] Tates was from Huissen, a small town in the Dutch province of Gelderland, and had no history with Dutch law enforcement.[12] Despite attempts to save his life, Tates died in the early morning of 1 May of brain injuries sustained in the crash.[13][14] An autopsy was performed. No traces of alcohol were found in Tates' blood but there were traces of cannabis; however, as cannabis remains in the blood for several weeks after usage, it cannot be said with certainty when it was ingested.[15] Tates' motive remains unclear. He had called his mother to congratulate her on her birthday on the day before the attack and said he was looking forward to her birthday party on 3 May. He left no indication he was planning anything.[16] Tates' parents describe him as kind and attentive, and although there were periods of financial trouble in his past, he had recently found work again.[16] According to his parents, Tates held no ill will towards the royal family and had described the Queen as a "stabilizing force".[16] [edit] Criminal chargesTates was to be charged under articles 92[17] and 108[17] of Dutch Criminal Law, rarely used articles which deal with attacks on the Queen, and the crown prince and his consort respectively.[18] A conviction under either article would have resulted in a life sentence without parole.[17] [edit] AftermathA few hours after the attack Queen Beatrix addressed the nation in an emotional video message.[19]
At a press conference that afternoon police reported that Tates, who was still conscious but severely injured after the accident, had told police that it was a deliberate act aimed at the royal family.[8][18] He had no prior history of psychological problems and there are no indications that any sort of terrorist group was involved.[8][18] Initial rumours that the car was rigged with explosives were later denied by the police.[3] [edit] Cancelled eventsFollowing the attack, at 12:15 pm local time, it was announced that all planned celebrations in Apeldoorn were cancelled. Later that day, many other events across the Netherlands were also cancelled, shortened or toned down significantly – including all activities in Rotterdam and many events in Amsterdam.[21][22] [edit] Memorial service On 8 May, a memorial service was held in the Orpheus theatre in Apeldoorn, with speeches by Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende and mayor of Apeldoorn Fred de Graaf. It was attended by the Queen, Prince Willem-Alexander, Princess Máxima, Princess Margriet and Pieter van Vollenhoven as well as 1200 guests. Some 5000 people watched the ceremony on screens placed outside on Apeldoorn's central market square[23] and millions more on live television. Just hours after the memorial, it was announced that after being in critical condition for over a week, an eighth person had died of injuries sustained in the attack.[1] [edit] References
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