Explosion Hits D66 Youth Office In The Hague; Police Arrest Suspect

A loud blast disrupted a youth event at the Dutch D66 party office in The Hague, and police arrested a suspect and launched an investigation.

“Epstein case: who is Ghislaine Maxwell, sentenced to 20 years for sex trafficking - Author: Jon Kelly - Role: BBC News”

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The mezha.net report says the explosion occurred at the D66 party office in The Hague around 21:00 local time, and that “An hour later, the police announced the arrest of the suspect.”

BBC

According to mezha.net, police said a powerful firecracker or a homemade fireworks device was thrown through a mail slot into the building during an event of the party’s youth wing.

Rob Jetten, the D66 leader, called the action a cowardly act of intimidation and said violence will not silence democracy, while the building sustained broken windows and smoke.

The mezha.net account adds that there were about 30 people in the office at the time of the explosion, including members of the party’s youth wing, and that no one was injured though those present were deeply shaken.

Separately, on Air Force One, American President Donald Trump was questioned again about Jeffrey Epstein hiring young women for Mar-a-Lago, including Virginia Giuffre.

Radio-Canada reports that when asked whether there were among the employees recruited by Epstein any young women, Trump nodded and said, “The idea of taking people who work for me is bad.”

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Radio-Canada also quotes Trump describing the spa staff as “gone,” saying, “people were taken from the spa — hired by him. In other words, gone.”

The BBC provides the legal context for the broader Epstein case, saying Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced in the United States to 20 years in prison for helping Epstein abuse underage girls.

The BBC adds that Judge Alison J. Nathan said Maxwell’s conduct had been “odious and predatory,” and that the judge imposed a 750,000 dollar fine (610,000 pounds).

In the D66 office case, mezha.net says police cordoned off the area around the office and are investigating the incident, while law enforcement continues to determine motives and identify individuals or groups involved.

“A loud blast disrupted a youth event at a political office in The Hague, alarming attendees”

mezha.net

The report also states that this is not the first attack on the party’s office, noting that in September last year the building was damaged during anti-immigration protests in the city.

In the Epstein-related coverage, the BBC says Maxwell was convicted in December for recruiting and trafficking four teenage girls for Epstein's sexual abuse, and that Epstein hanged himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019.

The BBC further says Maxwell has been in custody since her arrest in July 2020, primarily detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

The BBC concludes that in handing down the sentence, Judge Alison J. Nathan said the case called for a very heavy sentence and that she wanted to send an unambiguous message that such crimes would be punished.