The Hague:
A teenage Dutch couple was jailed on Monday for inciting another adolescent to stab a girl to death for allegedly posting derogatory comments on Facebook.
The 16-year-old female defendant, identified only as "Polly" because of her age, was handed the maximum sentence for a minor by the eastern Arnhem court.
"She was jailed for two years and sent to a youth psychiatric facility for three years, one suspended," court spokeswoman Marlou Nijland said.
Her accomplice and boyfriend at the time, identified as 18-year-old Wesley C., received the same sentence.
Details of the case shocked the nation when the court heard that the couple hired a teenage hitman to stab 15-year-old Joyce Hau to death on January 14.
The attack happened after Hau and Polly had a fight on the social networking site and derogatory comments were apparently posted.
Shortly afterwards, Wesley C. contacted Jing Hua K., 14, and according to prosecutors asked him to "silence someone".
Jing Hua K. went to the victim's home, saying he had something to give her. When she came to the door he repeatedly stabbed her with a knife and then attacked her father, scarring his face for life.
The victim was left "in a lake of blood", judges said in September as they handed Jing Hua K. a one-year sentence and ordered him to spend at least two years in a psychiatric facility.
The girl died in hospital five days after the attack.
Jing Hua K. was promised 150 euros ($190) or "a few drinks" if he carried out the murder, the court heard.
"Both defendants have a personality disorder and the level of development of their socio-emotional functioning is lower than average," the verdict said.
More than 90 per cent of Dutch citizens between the ages of 16 and 25 use social networking sites including Facebook, the central statistics office said.
Facebook said last month that it has over one billion users, of which more than half connect to the site daily.
The 16-year-old female defendant, identified only as "Polly" because of her age, was handed the maximum sentence for a minor by the eastern Arnhem court.
"She was jailed for two years and sent to a youth psychiatric facility for three years, one suspended," court spokeswoman Marlou Nijland said.
Her accomplice and boyfriend at the time, identified as 18-year-old Wesley C., received the same sentence.
Details of the case shocked the nation when the court heard that the couple hired a teenage hitman to stab 15-year-old Joyce Hau to death on January 14.
The attack happened after Hau and Polly had a fight on the social networking site and derogatory comments were apparently posted.
Shortly afterwards, Wesley C. contacted Jing Hua K., 14, and according to prosecutors asked him to "silence someone".
Jing Hua K. went to the victim's home, saying he had something to give her. When she came to the door he repeatedly stabbed her with a knife and then attacked her father, scarring his face for life.
The victim was left "in a lake of blood", judges said in September as they handed Jing Hua K. a one-year sentence and ordered him to spend at least two years in a psychiatric facility.
The girl died in hospital five days after the attack.
Jing Hua K. was promised 150 euros ($190) or "a few drinks" if he carried out the murder, the court heard.
"Both defendants have a personality disorder and the level of development of their socio-emotional functioning is lower than average," the verdict said.
More than 90 per cent of Dutch citizens between the ages of 16 and 25 use social networking sites including Facebook, the central statistics office said.
Facebook said last month that it has over one billion users, of which more than half connect to the site daily.
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