doelpoging

Doelpoging is a term used in Dutch criminal law to describe an attempt to commit a crime. It refers to situations in which a person, with the intention to commit a specific offense, has undertaken concrete acts that constitute a commencement of the execution of that offense, but the crime is not completed. The essence is the combination of deliberate intent (opzet) and acts that move beyond mere planning toward the core of the offense.

The key elements typically examined are opzet and aanvang van uitvoering. The offender must intend to commit the crime and must have started executing it through actions that bring the crime closer to completion. Mere preparation or planning, without the start of execution, normally does not meet the threshold for a doelpoging.

Examples commonly cited include attempting to harm or kill by aiming a weapon at a person, entering a premises with the intent to commit robbery, or taking steps that directly move toward the intended offense. If the act is interrupted or the offender withdraws, the existence and severity of the doelpoging will depend on the stage reached and the surrounding circumstances.

Punishment for doelpoging is generally provided under the statute governing the underlying offense, with rules that recognize the attempted nature. The penalties depend on the seriousness of the intended crime and the degree to which execution had begun; in some cases the punishment mirrors that of the completed offense, while in others it may be moderated.

Doelpoging is distinguished from preparations that remain at planning or gathering information, which do not usually qualify as an attempt. It is also related to, but separate from, accomplice liability and other forms of participation in crime.