The Dutch Institute for Security and Crisis Management (COT) have published a damning report on the mistakes made by the Rotterdam authorities during a beach party in Hook of Holland in August which got out of hand last summer.

A 19-year-old man was shot dead by police during violent clashes. Six people were injured as hundreds of hooligans turned on the police at a free dance event, Sunset Grooves.

The reports speaks of “uncoordinated emergency services, routine preparation, insufficient risk assessment, threats not taken seriously, unclear command structures, and confusing briefings before the event.”

The police were aware that Feyenoord football hooligans were planning to disrupt the beach party hours in advance, but the information was not passed on to the corps leaders. Only 45 police officers were deployed to the event.

The COT also says the reaction to developments during the event was inadequate and corps leaders, the mayor and the chief Public Prosecutor were informed far too late about the rioting. The authors of the report say the corps leaders did not take enough control over the preparations.

Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb has accepted the report’s recommendations and had decided to make “alterations to the organisation”.

On Tuesday, the Public Prosecution Office decided that the five police officers who aimed their fire directly at the rioters will not be prosecuted. A report by the PPO says the officers fired out of self-defence, as they were about to be charged at by a group of hooligans. They had already fired several rounds of warning shots.

Nineteen-year-old, Robbie van der Leeden, was killed when he was shot in the head. Six other people were injured in other parts of the body. Mr van der Leeden probably bent down to pick up something when the bullet hit. His parents are not convinced the police acted out of self-defence.

The mayor of Hook of Holland Ahmed Aboutaleb banned all free dance events following the incident.

Photos: Sunset Grooves beach party - mr pi/Flickr
            Police investigation into shooting - ANP