Dutch crime reporter dies after shooting

Peter R. de Vries was involved in a court case against one of the country's most wanted drug barons.

July 15, 2021 06:39 pm | Updated 06:45 pm IST - The Hague

Peter R. de Vries

Peter R. de Vries

Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, who was critically wounded after being shot in broad daylight in Amsterdam last week, has died in hospital, Dutch media reports said on Thursday.

A prominent investigative reporter and commentator, De Vries, 64, was shot at least five times as he exited a television studio near the Dutch capital's centre nine days ago.

He was rushed to a hospital where he had been fighting for his life since.

"Peter fought until the end, but he has lost the battle," his family said in a statement to the RTL commercial broadcaster.

"He was surrounded by the people who loved him when he died," they added, saying funeral arrangements have not yet been made.

De Vries, who first won fame for his inside reporting on the kidnapping of Heineken millionaire Freddy Heineken in 1983, most recently had been involved in a court case against one of the country's most wanted drug barons.

The attack on De Vries sparked wide-spread condemnation, with Europe's top official Charles Michel calling it an "attack against our values."

Two suspects were arrested shortly after the shooting and briefly appeared in court last Friday.

They remain in custody.

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