Government failed to protect family of Marengo crown witness

A court in The Hague ruled on Wednesday that the authorities did not do enough to safeguard the family of Nabil Bakkali, the crown witness in the Marengo trial.

Judges found in a civil suit brought by the family that the government acted “unlawfully towards the family by failing to take sufficient security measures prior to the announcement of the crown witness deal.”

Nabil Bakkali was involved in the criminal operations of Ridouan Taghi and, in 2017, turned crown witness in exchange for a reduced sentence. His brother, who was not involved in the case, was killed shortly after. Other members of the family have lived in hiding since.

Taghi was given a life sentence in 2024 in one of the largest trials in Dutch history.

Life and death: the biggest Dutch criminal trial explained

Bakkali’s family brought the suit several years ago. The ruling was made in January but it was only published by the court today.

The family had already been awarded compensation for the negligence and the judges determined that no further money is warranted.

In a statement, the family said they would appeal. “Lives have been disrupted, careers have been lost, and those involved have suffered serious and lasting psychological damage,” they said.

In 2023, the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) already issued a damning report on the system for protecting relatives of crown witnesses.