The problems of Hugo B. can largely be attributed to his home situation, as was made clear by the psychiatric report during the trial on 4 March. His parents fight continually. The father ignores the children and comes and goes as he pleases. The problems at home influence Hugo B. greatly. He is a quiet child, often withdraws to his room, has no friends, and is bullied at school. The president of the court A.M. Rikken wonders why the systems manager of Mathematical Sciences did not move out. Hugo B. 'I felt responsible, being the eldest.' Because of tension headaches he cannot finish his studies, but at the UT he is employed as assistant systems manager. Hugo B. enjoys the work very much, he confirms, it distracts him from the problems at home.
Despite this he often causes problems for his colleagues by messing with computers or cars. Constantly he is the first to lend a helping hand. 'It was an unconscious cry for attention. It could just as well have been something else. But it is not in my nature to ask for help.'
On 5 November 2002 the father goes away without leaving a message. Hugo B. feels abandoned, despite the tirannical behaviour of his father. It is not a relief for him. 'The tense situation was familiar. After my father left I fell into a sort of limbo. What should I do next?' The young man cannot handle the situation and became as he says muddled.
On Tuesday 19 November he starts a fire in a paper container, which fortunately is discovered on time. However the consequences of his actions on Wednesday 20 November are disastrous.
Hugo B. leaves for work that morning before eight with a jerrycan of white spirit. He sprinkles a bit of the flammable liquid in the A-wing, lights it with a match, leaves the building, gets into his car, dumps the jerrycan and comes back fifteen minutes later. 'I immediately regretted what I'd done when I saw it. Now there was real panic', he says with a face that does not betray any emotions. And yet he does admit in court to having enjoyed the tension. 'I experienced it as attention.'
Despite the regret the systems manager takes another stab at arson in the stairway of the computer science building. Then he is caught. The game is up. Before the investigating officers he initially denies all knowledge, but on Sunday he starts talking and confesses quickly to the internal computer terrrorism, letting tyres down, and all fires. I thought: now I will get help. I will tell everything.'
Jannie Benedictus
Maaike Platvoet
