The police are responsible for a mass murder in De Ridderhof shopping centre because they granted a man with serious psychological problems a licence to buy semi-automatic weapons, the court of appeal has ruled.

Six people were killed and sixteen injured on 9^th April 2011 when Tristan van der Vlis went on a rampage before turning the gun on himself.

A court in The Hague had already found the police force responsible for personal injury and death payments but the court of appeal has found that it may have to compensate for other forms of damage too.

Erik Akerboom, head of the national police, told the NOS broadcaster that the ruling could mean that it ‘will deal differently with applications and granting weapons permits in the future.’