Judgment of the Rotterdam District Court dated September 21, 2020

The applicant experiences significant hindrance in his daily life due to his current first name, as he continues to be haunted by a profound event from the past through his present identity information. The situation unfolded as follows:

In the past, the applicant and his former partner were arrested in connection with a specific offense. Ultimately, the public prosecutor’s office decided not to pursue the case. However, to this day, the applicant still grapples with the enduring impact of this significant past event and desires closure. He wishes to embark on a fresh start in his life without the constant influence of the aforementioned incident on his daily well-being.

Changing his first name will enable the applicant to adopt a new identity and move forward with his life. The mentioned event has already had a tremendous impact on the applicant’s life, further emphasizing his wish to put the past behind him. This is particularly crucial because, in recent years, the applicant has had to go into hiding due to threats, preventing him from leading a normal life in any sense.

While requests for a change of identity through a first name change are relatively rare, the applicant has thoroughly substantiated the hindrance caused by his current name. He wants to distance himself from the name and no longer be confronted with the events of the past. Considering these circumstances and the fact that the name has a profoundly disruptive impact on the applicant’s life, the court approves the request for a change of first name.