Politician’s Assassin Gets 18 Years in Prison
From Times Wire Reports
The killer of populist Pim Fortuyn was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the country’s first political assassination in more than three centuries. Volkert van der Graaf, 33, admitted shooting Fortuyn, 54, nine days before a May election that swept the Pim Fortuyn List party into power. Party member Alfons Lonte called the term “totally inadequate.”
Van der Graaf said he shot Fortuyn because he saw him as a threat to society who “abused democracy” by making vulnerable social groups scapegoats.
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