Maastricht student sentenced to six years for attempted murder

A young man has been sentenced to six years in prison for an attempted murder during a knife attack in a Maastricht classroom. The incident occurred in March 2026 at a secondary school, where the 17-year-old victim sustained severe injuries to his face and ear, including a deep wound that is expected to leave permanent scarring.

Although the perpetrator was 16 at the time of the attack, the court decided to try him under adult criminal law, determining that a juvenile sentence was insufficient given the severity of the crime. The court rejected the defendant's claim that he only intended to strike the victim, instead ruling that the attack was a deliberate act involving a knife. Evidence showed the defendant had also sent threatening messages to the victim both the day before and the morning of the incident.