It seems unlikely that agents will be deployed in the near future to tackle anti-gay violence. The Public Prosecution Service has informed Mayor Femke Halsema that it will not quickly agree to the investigative tool, because there are many hooks and eyes.
–
Halsema recognized in May The conversation with the Mayor all that using agents is ‘complicated’, but that she wanted to discuss it again with the Public Prosecution Service (OM). The public prosecutor decides on the deployment of agents.
No provoking effect
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the problem lies in the fact that, objectively speaking, the attractant must not have any provoking effect. “The police should not create an opportunity that is not normally there and thereby provoke a crime,” the prosecutor said in a note to the city council.
There are also questions about how (ethically) feasible it is to use agents to combat anti-gay violence. ‘How can we have a decoy pretend to be gay without stigmatizing this group? And how far do we want to go in “luring”? Do the locks have to (continue to) walk hand in hand? Kissing each other? “
“When do we intervene?”
The Public Prosecution Service asks itself what the investigative means will ultimately yield. “Is it the aim that the agents are treated unfairly? That (the beginning of) violence is being exerted on them? Violation of what criminal offense do we want to demonstrate? When do we intervene? “
Discussions surrounding the use of anti-gay violence decoy agents flared up in recent months after gay couple Fabio and Daniel were attacked twice within a month.
–
