The Knoops’ Innocence Project (NL) has announced the reopening of the case of Mr. Riebeek, who was convicted for 188 hours of community service for the smuggle of soft drugs and driving without a driver’s lisence.
In 2008, Mr. Riebeek was convicted for a crime he did not commit. At the time of his arrest, the suspect mentioned the name of Mr. Riebeek instead of his own. In 2014, a request for review was drafted and filed. Last week the Dutch Supreme Court accepted the request to reopen the case against Mr. Riebeek, based on the evidence the Knoops’ Innocence Project retrieved in order to show that he was wrongfully convicted.
Last Tuesday we received the good news from the Dutch Supreme Court. Mr. Riebeek is very happy as well and hopes that, in the end, the Court of Appeals will acquit him. The verdict in appeal will be expected next year.At the time of the arrest, the suspect mentioned the name of Mr. Riebeek instead of his own. His identity was never verified: no DNA was taken, no fingerprints were taken and they did not take any pictures of the suspect.
After the conviction, the real perpetrator stated several times that he committed the crime and not Mr. Riebeek. Next to that, an extensive investigation by Knoops’ Innocence Project showed that Mr. Riebeek had a conclusive alibi at the time of the crime. The investigation showed that this was a case of mistaken identity. The advocate-general at the Supreme Court advised that the request for review were to be accepted. The Supreme Court accorded to that conclusion and referred the case to the Court of Appeals of the district Arnhem/Leeuwarden.
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