Long jail terms for insurance scam student flat arsonists

Three people in their 20s have been jailed for between 14 and 16 years for an arson attack on a block of student flats in Diemen which killed a 27-year-old philosophy student in 2017.

Simona I, 24, her brother Gilermo, 25 and 27-year-old Rachied V were found guilty of setting the fire in order to con money out of an insurance company. Simona I lived in the flats and was hoping to make a claim for damages.

Security footage showed Gilermo I and V entering the block of flats and going into an apartment, after which the hallway filled with smoke. During the hearing I said he is very sorry about what happened. ‘But I cannot turn back the clock,’ he told the court.

The three have also been ordered to pay financial compensation to the victims. One, a journalism student, now suffers from brain damage and may be unable to complete her studies. Another has developed serious depression.

The body of victim David Swart was only found hours after the fire had been put out.