Dutch police have arrested a girl who was living in Belgium in connection with threats against schools in the Dutch city of Breda. The girl threatened to carry out shootings in six secondary schools in the city.
An underage girl of Dutch nationality living in Belgium was detained by Dutch police at the weekend. She had been circulating photos on social media in which she threatened to shoot people at six secondary schools in Breda, located near the border between Belgium and the Netherlands. Initially, reports stated the girl was of Belgian nationality, however, the Antwerp public prosecutor's office confirmed the girl is from the border region in Belgium but has Dutch nationality.
The threats about the school shootings included a picture of a gun with bullets, and the girl had written the text "everyone is going to die," local media reported. The photo was allegedly sent via social network Snapchat, an app where users can share photos and videos, which then disappear after they have been viewed.
The police said on Sunday that they had a suspect in sight: a girl from Belgium. The police arrested her at around 01:00 on Sunday night.
Translation: "Extensive investigations by our online specialists have revealed a suspect. This is a minor from Belgium from whom we do not currently expect any threat."
No further details have been disclosed about the arrest, and it remains unclear whether she will be brought to the Netherlands. In principle, a minor appears before the juvenile court in the region where he or she lives, but it is unclear whether this will happen in this case. It is possible proceedings in the Netherlands will take place first.
Belgian police have been notified and the girl's exact involvement in the messages is being investigated.
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Police said earlier on Sunday that they did not believe the girl to pose an actual threat, meaning no shootings would happen. Students could therefore go to school as usual on Monday. However, making a threat to carry out an attack is also a punishable offence. It may lead to fines and even criminal charges.
Earlier this month, similar threats against schools in another Dutch city, Nijmegen, circulated on social media. The schools concerned announced that they would remain open, but some parents kept their children home as a precaution.
