Dutch court convicts teens of virtual theft

By Oli Welsh Published 23 October, 2008

RuneScape robbers get community service.

Yahoo reports that a court in Holland has convicted two teenagers of stealing virtual items in the popular kids' MMO, RuneScape.

The 15 and 14-year-old culprits forced a 13-year-old boy into a transferring a "virtual amulet and a virtual mask" to their accounts in RuneScape.

The Yahoo report is light on detail, but we understand from our friends at Eurogamer.nl, who read about it in the paper this morning, that the errant teens beat up and kicked the victim, and threatened him with a knife.

The two were convicted to 360 hours of community service between them. "These virtual goods are goods (under Dutch law), so this is theft," said the court in its ruling.

Very few cases of virtual theft have reached the courts in the past - usually, police refuse to take them seriously. This is the first time in Holland that there has been a final ruling in such a case.

If you can read Dutch, you'll find more information on the case at nrc.next.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (10) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Hamflank #1 3 years ago

    They read tuesday's newspapers on thursday morning at Eurogamer.nl?

    Anyway, I don't think the boys would have been punished if they hadn't used brute force to get to the goods. The Dutch jurisdictional system is rather mild in general. Although I do think it is a good thing that virtual theft is actually considered to be real theft.

  • JonFE #2 3 years ago

    Excuse me, but, if the paper details of beating up, kicking and threatening their victim with a knife are accurate, there's nothing *virtual* about their crime.

  • hulahoops #3 3 years ago

    Maybe they meant in game? :)

  • Shakey_Jake33 #4 3 years ago

    ^The beating and kicking was real, but that's not what the report is saying. They're being tried for theft of items which are virtual. In previous cases, they'd of simply been tried for assult or similar and the virtual theft discarded.

  • wakkum #5 3 years ago

    @Hamflank: We actually already posted it on Tuesday:
    http://ww w.eurogamer.nl/article.php?arti...

  • turnget2005 #6 3 years ago

    so why did the kids not get charged with assult, ABH, and or GBH which is a more servere charge?
    i think they got away easily.

    death sentence is what i would have gave them! mwua haha

  • Ari #7 3 years ago

    Gotta love translation software...

    "Previous year stood the Netherlands on his head because of the threat of a boy in Friese lion ears. The best boy became two other boys of its school forced to its personage in the MMO Runescape to them giving.
    The victim was kicked in each other and he was deprived of its virtual items.
    Today a sentence has been pronounced in the court of lion ears, where suspected the two minors is condemned for virtual robber stable. It is for the first time in the Netherlands which someone is condemned for this indictable offence.
    The two daders both has got a work sentence of 180 hours. Also they have got four weeks conditional youth detention for their infamous action."

    You crazy Dutch people ;)

  • mazzl #8 3 years ago

    he ari, nie zo he ;)
    ik vind het alleen wat veel werk om het hele stuk te vertalen.
    als er behoefte aan is doe ik dat misschien nog wel.

    somebody interested in an almost correct translation of the news article?

  • XLG #9 3 years ago

    Fine, I'll put a full translation of the article of Dutch Eurogamer, don't expect it to be 100% correct though. I'm just doing my best.
    ------------------------------------------------------------ --------
    A year ago, in the Netherlands, a 13 year old boy in Leeuwarden was threatened by two other boys (who were 14 and 15 years old). The 13 year old boy was forced to give his Runescape character to them.

    The boy was beaten up and robbed from his virtual items.

    Today a judgment has been made in the court of Leeuwarden, where the two under aged boys were convicted for virtual theft. It’s the first time in the Netherlands that anyone is convicted for such a case.

    The two offenders both received community service of 180 hours. They’ve also received four weeks of conditional youth detention because of their horrible deed.

    Edited by 1 at 23/10/08 @ 16:48

  • Les #10 3 years ago

    "Dutch court convicts teens of virtual theft"

    The theft itself is not virtual, it's a theft of virtual goods. Not quite the same IMO.