Warning: This article includes discussions of suicide and graphic images that may be upsetting to some readers. A devastating home invasion has led a man to choose euthanasia due to irreversible injuries inflicted by an armed robber. On a quiet morning in November, around 8:20 AM, 77-year-old Jan Beulenkamp was assaulted in his own bed in Liendenhof, Amsterdam-Zuidoost, by an intruder who entered his home forcefully and attacked him.
This violent incident left the Dutch retiree with permanent brain damage, and merely two months after the attack, the beloved grandfather decided to end his life through euthanasia.
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While the criminal responsible for this heinous act remains at large, the Netherlands’ Public Prosecution Service has issued a €10,000 reward for information leading to his capture. The suspect is described as a male, approximately 5’9″ tall, in his 20s or 30s, with dark skin and eyes, fluent in Dutch, and was seen carrying a brown backpack.
On that tragic morning, when the assailant rang the Beulenkamps’ doorbell, he was initially greeted by Jan’s wife. Brandishing a gun, he demanded money. When informed there was no cash in the apartment, he then demanded jewelry.
While searching for valuables, the thief found Mr. Beulenkamp in his bedroom and brutally attacked him with the gun, hitting him multiple times on the head.
The repercussions of the attack were severe: it left Mr. Beulenkamp partially paralyzed, with impaired speech, and enduring significant mental trauma. Despite the support of his loving wife, children, and grandchildren, it soon became clear that he would not be able to recover.
Euthanasia, which is legal in the Netherlands under conditions of unbearable suffering without prospects for improvement, was the path he chose just two months after the assault.
Authorities have speculated that the perpetrator might live nearby, knowing that the couple were elderly and vulnerable. Their home is situated on a dead-end street without any parking facilities, indicating that the assailant likely escaped on foot or by bicycle.
If you or someone you know is in a mental health crisis or struggling, assistance is available. Contact Mental Health America by calling or texting 988, or visit 988lifeline.org. Crisis Text Line is also accessible by texting MHA to 741741.