Sara Janse Geldof - the last woman executed in Holland.
Sara Janse Geldof - the last woman executed in Holland. The last woman executed in Holland, after being sentenced to death by a civilian court, was 33 year old Sara Janse Geldof, who was publicly strangled at Middelburg on Monday the 24th of September 1838. Male criminals were hanged at this time but women were strangled at the stake for the sake of decency. The execution took place on a scaffold erected in front of the town hall. The Vlissingsche Courant of the 25th of September 1838 reported: "In the afternoon of September 24, 1838, Middelburg had the awesome ceremony of the execution of the sentence, passed on Sara Janse Geldhof, housewife of Pieter Johannes Huissoon, by the Court of Assise. She was condemned to death, by strangling at the pole. Everything was completed in the best order, and a deep silence prevailed in execution. The convicted person behaved very well.” Sara had killed thirteen year old Catherina Block in March 1838 to rob her of the golden finer...