The Fouad L. case is of an entirely different calibre than our daily work. Every day, an EM reporter is present in the courtroom. Attending a hearing is very different from reading about it: the emotions of the victims’ families, the details in the reports, the remarks made by the defendant – it all reaches the reporter unfiltered. Add to that the enormous interest in the case, as well as the legal jargon and courtroom procedures. It’s definitely not an easy task.
Seasoned court reporters from newspapers like AD or De Telegraaf are accustomed to the emotional weight, know exactly what they (according to their newspaper) can and cannot write, and are thoroughly familiar with the procedures and jargon. This is less the case for EM reporters. While Tessa Hofland (covering Monday and Tuesday), Feba Sukmana (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday), and I, as editor-in-chief, have all been in court before to report on cases, this is not routine work for any of us.
So why attend every day and cover it in a live blog? Because – at least in the ten years I’ve worked for Erasmus Magazine – the usual routine at the university has never been so completely disrupted as it has by this case. A huge number of students and staff have been affected. The hospital, but also the Education Centre, places that once felt so safe and even like home for many, suddenly became crime scenes. We feel it’s our duty to document this from our perspective, which may differ somewhat from that of national newspapers.
Moreover, this story hits particularly close to home for us. Erasmus MC feels like ‘our turf’; we have strong ties with many students, lecturers and researchers there. And like everyone else, we are at a loss as to how something like this could ever happen in a hospital, during a practical class where students learn about the vulnerability of patients.
How do we ensure we do this well? That we don’t misinterpret courtroom remarks, that we respect the privacy of the victims’ families? And that we inform our readers without including unnecessary gruesome details?
Of course, it’s impossible to avoid mistakes entirely, but we do everything we can. We have been preparing our coverage for weeks. EM attended all the preliminary hearings, so we’re already well-informed about the case, as well as the courtroom proceedings and legal jargon. While reporting live, we stay in constant contact with each other. Both the editor and editor-in-chief review the reporter’s notes live, helping with selection and offering support when needed.
We are cautious in our observations of the public, which includes some of the victims’ families. We do not want anyone to be recognised by the outside world based on our descriptions (with the exception of those who choose to be recognisable) – the courtroom must remain a safe space for them.
And we know our limits. We are not seasoned court reporters. So we sometimes double-check our observations with the spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service or the court, or discuss them with fellow reporters from other media outlets. We also closely monitor reporting in other newspapers. And we check in with each other to see whether we’re coping emotionally. This way, we ensure that EM’s readers – especially those who do not read Dutch – can follow what is happening in the largest court case ever involving Erasmus University.
