AMSTERDAM, 20/10/07 - The Amsterdam police consider that judges are too mild on Moroccan criminals. The judges deny this.

"We ask the judges to impose tougher sentences," said Hans Schonfeld of the Amsterdam police corps in newspaper Algemeen Dagblad Friday. "If we arrest youths and they are at large again after a couple of days, then it is very difficult to tackle this group."

Moroccan youths have for a week been setting fire to cars virtually daily in the Amsterdam district of Slotervaart. "There are about 35 boys aged 12 to 18. They are on a conveyer-belt of offences: candalism, violence, theft, break-ins, you name it. And it just goes on. It is unbelievable," says Schonfeld. "They get away with light sentences. Twelve days in jail for a house break-in, for example. While these are youths that have already been slipping up with great regularity for years."

According to Schonfeld, judges should give more weight to the boys' pasts. "If you can get four years in jail for certain crimes, why do boys with this kind of history get off with a couple of weeks?"

The Council for Jurisprudence (RvR) however denies that sentences are too light. "We want to distance ourselves from the picture being created of unworldly, soft judges that do not know what goes on in society," said a spokesman Friday.

The RvR throws the ball back to the legislative power. "Judges cannot debate on the height of the sentence. They are bound to the law." (...) "We understand the sentiments at play, but we cannot try cases from these," said the spokesman. Apart from this, international research shows that the Netherlands has for some time no longer been among the countries in Europe with lower average sentences, according to RvR.

Former Amsterdam police chief Nordholt, considers very tough action necessary. "You cannot expect to enforce your authority when you arrest and release someone 87 times."

An Amsterdam court on Friday released three youths who had been arrested on suspicion of preparing arson in Slotervaart. They were caught on the street in possession of jerry cans wit petrol. But the judge said this was insufficient ground to prove that they were about to set a car ablaze. Five others, arrested for rioting, were also released; they are banned from gathering in groups on the street for 30 days.

Earlier this week, judges came under fire due to reports that they often impose community service instead of jail sentences for serious crimes. Justice Minister Hirsch Ballin promised the Lower House that he would consider changes.

Moroccan organisations in Amsterdam regret the riots in Slotervaart but consider it worrying that the call for repression and a tougher approach is getting louder. "We call on the Amsterdam city council executive and local politicians to shoulder their responsibility not allow themselves to be led by the delusion of the day, but to make sustained investments in people," the organisations said in a joint statement.