The substantive hearing in the murder case of tattoo artist Steve Mahaka, 48, began at the court in Haarlem more than three and a half years after his death. Mahaka died on March 7, 2023, after being found seriously injured in an apartment complex on Egholm in Hoofddorp. The apartment belonged to Ishmael el B., Mahaka’s employer and close friend, who called emergency services and said he had cared for Mahaka during the night. El B. was arrested four months later and denies killing him.

El B. was released under strict conditions in June 2025 after more than two years in custody and remains a suspect. He says Mahaka had been attacked by paedophiles because of a supposed double life and that he had tried to save him. The prosecution rejects that account and points to a large amount of blood spatter in the apartment, with no blood found outside, as evidence that the violence took place inside. The court is hearing the conclusions of experts involved in the case.