Facebook murder

{{Short description|2012 murder in the Netherlands}}

{{Distinguish|Killing of Robert Godwin}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

The Facebook murder ({{langx|nl|Facebookmoord}}) is a term coined by Dutch media for the murder of 15-year-old Winsie Hau on 14 January 2012 by the then 14-year-old Jinhua K. in Arnhem, the Netherlands.{{cite news|date=20 August 2012|title=OM eist 1 jaar cel en tbs voor Facebookmoord|trans-title=Public Prosecution Service demands 1 year in prison and judicial involuntary commitment for Facebook murder|url=https://www.rtl.nl/nederland/artikel/2884341/om-eist-1-jaar-cel-en-tbs-voor-facebookmoord|url-status=live|language=nl|publisher=RTL Nieuws|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240812013819/https://www.rtl.nl/nederland/artikel/2884341/om-eist-1-jaar-cel-en-tbs-voor-facebookmoord|archive-date=12 August 2024|access-date=15 July 2015}} Hau's father was also injured in the attack. The case was given this name because the motive lay in the escalation of a teenage argument on the social media and social networking service Facebook.{{cite news|date=20 August 2012|title=Onbenullige tienerruzie op Facebook leidde tot moord|trans-title=Trivial teenage argument on Facebook led to murder|url=https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/onbenullige-tienerruzie-op-facebook-leidde-tot-moord~a95dc960/|url-status=live|language=nl|work=Algemeen Dagblad|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160824051736/https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/onbenullige-tienerruzie-op-facebook-leidde-tot-moord~a95dc960/|archive-date=24 August 2016|access-date=12 August 2024}}{{cite news|last=Bartelsman|first=Mirjam|date=27 October 2012|title="Als je een moord pleegt, ben je cool"|trans-title="If you commit a murder, you're cool"|url=https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/433912-als-je-een-moord-pleegt-ben-je-cool|url-status=live|language=nl|work=Nieuwsuur|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022155433/https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/433912-als-je-een-moord-pleegt-ben-je-cool|archive-date=22 October 2021|access-date=12 August 2024}}

== Events ==

Winsie 'Joyce' Hau{{NoteTag|Born in Hong Kong, Hau's given name was Winsie and the name 'Joyce' was the English alias she had started using in secondary school.{{cite web|last=Rooij|first=Leen de|date=2012|title=Ter herinnering aan Winsie ('Joyce') Hau|trans-title=In memory of Winsie ('Joyce') Hau|url=https://www.dvvbi.nl/ter-herinnering-aan-winsie-joyce-hau/|url-status=live|language=nl|website=Dvvbi.nl|publisher=Damvereniging VBI Huissen|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625043134/https://www.dvvbi.nl/ter-herinnering-aan-winsie-joyce-hau/|archive-date=25 June 2021|access-date=12 August 2024}}{{cite web|title=Ter herinnering aan Winsie|trans-title=In memory of Winsie|url=https://www.damclubctd.nl/problematiek/Ter%20herinnering%20aan%20Winsie.pdf|url-status=live|language=nl|website=Damclubctd.nl|publisher=Damclub CTD Arnhem|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160707015222/https://www.damclubctd.nl/problematiek/Ter%20herinnering%20aan%20Winsie.pdf|archive-date=7 July 2016|access-date=12 August 2024}}}} and 16-year-old Polly W.{{NoteTag|Due to the right to privacy, media in the Netherlands routinely withhold the identity of people charged with or convicted of a crime and often substitute initials for names.}} were best friends until they had a falling out in October 2011 during a birthday party at a pool hall in Arnhem.{{cite news|last=Arts|first=Harry|date=17 April 2012|title=Moord op Winsie uit Arnhem na ruzie in poolcentrum|trans-title=Murder of Winsie from Arnhem after argument in pool hall|url=https://www.gelderlander.nl/arnhem/moord-op-winsie-uit-arnhem-na-ruzie-in-poolcentrum~aad067d0/|language=nl|work=De Gelderlander|location=Arnhem|access-date=12 August 2024}} Over the following weeks, the girls continued to argue online until Hau made remarks on Facebook on supposed promiscuous behaviour by her opponent. This resulted in Polly W. asking her friend, the 17-year-old Wesley C. from Rotterdam, to deal with the situation, who then contracted Jinhua K. from Capelle aan den IJssel to "teach [Hau] a lesson".

On 14 January 2012, Jinhua K. went to Hau's residence in Arnhem, armed with a knife. He rang the doorbell and stabbed Hau repeatedly in the face and neck when she answered the door. Her father, 49-year-old Chun Nam Hau, attempted to intervene and sustained knife wounds to his face and arms.{{cite news|last=Zantingh|first=Peter|date=3 September 2012|title=Jinhua K. krijgt maximale straf voor Facebookmoord|trans-title=Jinhua K. receives maximum sentence for Facebook murder|url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2012/09/03/jinhua-k-krijgt-jaar-jeugddetentie-en-drie-jaar-jeugd-tbs-voor-facebookmoord-a1441983|url-status=live|language=nl|work=NRC Handelsblad|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801065938/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2012/09/03/jinhua-k-krijgt-jaar-jeugddetentie-en-drie-jaar-jeugd-tbs-voor-facebookmoord-a1441983|archive-date=1 August 2016|access-date=15 July 2015}} Hau died of her injuries in hospital on 19 January 2012.{{cite news|last=Schuil|first=Harold|date=23 October 2017|title=Facebookmoord op Winsie Hau nagespeeld in 'Van God Los'|trans-title=Facebook murder of Winsie Hau reenacted in 'Van God Los'|url=https://www.gelderlander.nl/arnhem-e-o/facebookmoord-op-winsie-hau-nagespeeld-in-van-god-los~a4fdf88e/|url-status=live|language=nl|work=De Gelderlander|location=Arnhem|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024001618/https://www.gelderlander.nl/arnhem-e-o/facebookmoord-op-winsie-hau-nagespeeld-in-van-god-los~a4fdf88e/|archive-date=24 October 2017|access-date=12 August 2024}}

== Verdict ==

Jinhua K. was sentenced to a year in juvenile detention and three years in judicial involuntary commitment, of which one year was conditional.

Wesley C. and Polly K. were both sentenced to two years in juvenile detention and judicial involuntary commitment, the maximum sentence possible under Dutch criminal law for juveniles, for conspiring to commit and purposely contributing to the murder. The public prosecutor asked to have the two tried as adults due to the severity of the case, and demanded five years in prison and judicial involuntary commitment, but the court ruled against this.{{cite news|last=Remie|first=Mirjam|date=12 November 2012|title=Opdrachtgevers Facebookmoord veroordeeld volgens jeugdstrafrecht|trans-title=Orderers of Facebook murder convicted under juvenile criminal law|url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2012/11/12/opdrachtgever-facebookmoord-veroordeeld-tot-twee-jaar-cel-en-tbs-a1440084|url-status=live|language=nl|work=NRC Handelsblad|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240812185503/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2012/11/12/opdrachtgever-facebookmoord-veroordeeld-tot-twee-jaar-cel-en-tbs-a1440084|archive-date=12 August 2024|access-date=15 July 2015}}

The public prosecutor appealed the verdict.{{cite news|last=Coevert|first=Annemarie|date=26 November 2012|title=OM in hoger beroep tegen uitspraak Facebookmoord|trans-title=Public Prosecution Service appeals Facebook murder ruling|url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2012/11/26/om-in-hoger-beroep-tegen-uitspraak-facebookmoord-a1439652|url-status=live|language=nl|work=NRC Handelsblad|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240812190718/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2012/11/26/om-in-hoger-beroep-tegen-uitspraak-facebookmoord-a1439652|archive-date=12 August 2024|access-date=15 July 2015}} The appeal was during a non-public case in July and August 2013.{{cite news|date=18 March 2013|title=Hoger beroep Facebookmoord niet openbaar|trans-title=Facebook murder appeal non-public|url=https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/3372845/hoger-beroep-facebookmoord-niet-openbaar.html|url-status=live|language=nl|publisher=NU.nl|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319172650/https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/3372845/hoger-beroep-facebookmoord-niet-openbaar.html|archive-date=19 March 2013|access-date=15 July 2015}} On 27 August 2013, the court of appeals upheld the earlier ruling.{{cite news|date=27 August 2013|title=Weer jeugdstraffen in Facebookmoord|trans-title=Juvenile sentences again in Facebook murder|url=https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/3560308/weer-jeugdstraffen-in-facebookmoord.html|url-status=live|language=nl|publisher=NU.nl|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829105817/https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/3560308/weer-jeugdstraffen-in-facebookmoord.html|archive-date=29 August 2013|access-date=15 July 2015}}

== Aftermath ==

Jinhua K. had shown some improvements during his time in a mental health facility, though psychologists had noted that he was at a low to moderate risk of reoffending, citing examples of impulsive behaviour, lowered empathy and occasional lack of cooperation with behavioural interventions.{{cite news|last=Wely|first=Mick van|date=29 May 2018|title=Tbs te kort voor tienerkiller|trans-title="Judicial involuntary commitment too short for teen killer"|url=https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/2093500/tbs-te-kort-voor-tienerkiller|url-status=live|language=nl|work=De Telegraaf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529095109/https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/2093500/tbs-te-kort-voor-tienerkiller|archive-date=29 May 2018|access-date=19 March 2025}}

In April 2018, Jinhua K. and an unidentified older man committed an armed robbery in Sint-Oedenrode. The two posed as prospective buyers of expensive computer equipment, having contacted the victim through his online listing. While stealing the equipment, they threatened to shoot the victim, his girlfriend and their infant if they attempted to intervene. A few weeks later, the two men were arrested.

Hau's father expressed his lack of surprise at Jinhua K's reoffending, stating that "he is severely disturbed; that was evident from (Winsie's) murder".{{cite web|last=Szymanska|first=Paulina|date=8 July 2023|title=Case 254: Winsie Hau - Casefile True Crime|url=https://casefilepodcast.com/case-254-winsie-hau/|url-status=live|website=Casefilepodcast.com|publisher=Casefile: True Crime Podcast|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715071529/https://casefilepodcast.com/case-254-winsie-hau/|archive-date=15 July 2023|access-date=15 July 2023}}