Young footballers convicted of kicking assistant referee to death

Six young footballers have been convicted of kicking to death an assistant referee after a game in the Netherlands.

They and the father of one of them were found guilty of manslaughter. Judges in Lelystad sentenced the 50-year-old father to six years in prison.

Five teenage players were given two-year sentences in youth detention for their roles in the attack and another was sentenced to a year. A seventh player, aged 15, was sentenced to 30 days’ detention.

The attack took place last December in the city of Almere, after the home team Buitenboys drew 2-2 with Nieuw Sloten. All have insisted they were innocent and have two weeks to appeal.

Their lawyers argued that the official, Richard Nieuwenhuizen, had an underlying medical condition that contributed to his death, but forensic experts said he died as a result of the beating.