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Judges want clarity on likely release date before applying Aydin Coban's 13-year term to Dutch legal system
Judges in Amsterdam want more information from Canadian authorities as they consider the sentence of a Dutch man convicted last year in British Columbia of the extortion and harassment of teenager Amanda Todd.
The Dutch court was expected to announce Thursday how it would convert Aydin Coban's 13-year Canadian sentence to fit the legal system in the Netherlands, but instead, it delayed the decision. A date for a new hearing has not been set.
The judges said they want clarification from Canada about the most likely date Coban would be released if he were to serve his sentence in a Canadian prison.
Coban's lawyer says Canadian officials have provided several possible release dates but have not offered the "most likely date," prompting the delay.
The delay in sentencing is distressing for Todd's mom, Carol Todd, who has dedicated years of her life to seeking justice for her daughter.
"I was expecting today I would be able to say 'The end' on this one, and now that pit in my stomach — it's going to go on, and it could go on longer than we all imagined."
Last fall, Coban was sentenced in B.C. Supreme Court to 13 years for extortion, harassment and other crimes against Todd, who was blackmailed into exposing herself in front of a webcam.
The 15-year-old Port Coquitlam teen died by suicide in 2012, weeks after recounting her years of torment in a YouTube video viewed more than 15 million times.
Coban was already serving an 11-year sentence in the Netherlands for similar crimes against 33 other victims when he was extradited to Canada to face trial in Todd's case.
He will begin serving his Canadian sentence in the Netherlands once that first prison term ends in August 2024, but the newer sentence had to be converted in accordance with Dutch law.
Last month, a prosecutor in the Netherlands said a Dutch court would typically sentence an offender to four years for the crimes committed against Todd.
Still, Kasper van der Schaft urged judges to give Coban an extra six months and acknowledged Canadians familiar with Todd's case would be shocked to see the 13-year sentence reduced by more than half.
Carol Todd said she's hopeful the sentencing delay means the judges are considering keeping Coban in a Dutch prison for more than four-and-a-half years.
Coban's Dutch lawyer, Robert Malewicz, said his client shouldn't get any extra prison time after a sentence that was "exorbitantly high, even by Canadian standards."
He also said his client felt he'd already been handed somewhat of "a life sentence" because Canadian authorities released his name in connection with the criminal case — something Dutch authorities do not do.
Todd's mother said the release of Coban's name and photos of him is justified.
"He took childhoods away from young girls," said Carol Todd. "He can't go around without being recognized? Oh well, that's a consequence you have to pay."
WATCH | Amanda Todd's mother talks about what justice for her daughter should look like:
Amanda Todd's mother wants Aydin Coban to stay in Dutch prison
Carol Todd, whose daughter Amanda died by suicide after cyberbullying and harassment, says she wants the man convicted in her daughter's case by a Canadian court to stay in prison in the Netherlands.
During sentencing in October, Canadian Justice Martha Devlin detailed how Coban used 22 different aliases to chat with Todd on Facebook, YouTube and Skype, demanding webcam shows. He sent her more than 700 messages over more than two years and made "persistent online threats," according to Devlin.
Coban, who was in his 30s at the time, threatened to send images and videos of Todd in compromising positions to her friends and family.
When Todd refused to comply with his demands, Coban posted and shared suggestive and pornographic images of Todd on Facebook, in YouTube comments and uploaded them to image hosting sites.
Though she disagreed with the Crown's argument that Coban was the "dominating factor" in Todd's suicide, Devlin said the man's harassment contributed to her mental health issues, depression and substance use.
"Ruining Amanda's life was Mr. Coban's expressly stated goal and was, sadly, one that he achieved," Devlin said.
WATCH | Amanda Todd's mother reacts to the possibility reduced sentence for Coban:
Amanda Todd’s mother reacts to possible reduced sentence for Dutch man convicted of extortion, harassment
Carol Todd says Aydin Coban should serve his 13-year sentence and she does not feel remorse over his global recognizability due to his Canadian trial.
With files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press
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Credit belongs to : www.cbc.ca
