Report criticizes Dutch protection system after 3 slayings

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A critical report into the protection of three murder victims, including a celebrated Dutch journalist shot in downtown Amsterdam, says that security services in a “fragmented” system did not always act on tips about possible threats. The conclusions highlighted flaws in a network involving police and prosecutors that is intended to offer protection to people facing threats ranging from stalkers to possible attacks by criminals and terrorists. It came following an 18-month government-commissioned probe by the Dutch Safety Board into the slayings of crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, lawyer Derk Wiersum and the brother of a key witness in the trial of an alleged Dutch mob boss.