Michel Komproe, who was seriously injured to his face and hand during a violent incident in October 2025, believes the four-year prison sentence for artist Orlando Watts, better known as Kappalani, is too low. According to Komproe, the sentence is not proportionate to what he has gone through. He says he still experiences physical pain and is psychologically dealing with the consequences of the incident.
Kappalani was sentenced by the cantonal judge on Wednesday, October 28, to four years in unconditional imprisonment, minus the time he has already spent in pretrial detention. The artist stood trial for several criminal offences, including violent and firearms offences. The judge did not find attempted manslaughter proven.
Komproe responded to the sentence imposed after the ruling. Although he respects the verdict, he considers four years in prison insufficient.
“Four years is really little,” he stated. According to him, however, he must accept the judge’s decision.
Festive evening ended in violence
Komproe looked back on the evening of October 19, 2025, when a festive gathering escalated into a violent confrontation. According to him, a surprise party had been organised and the evening was initially pleasant.
At one point, he went outside, where he saw an argument between several people. Because the incident took place at his hospitality establishment, he felt responsible for restoring calm.
He stated that he addressed those involved and asked them to put aside their differences. He was also concerned about possible consequences for his licence should the situation get out of hand.
According to Komproe, the situation nevertheless escalated further. He says that three men approached him and that one of them hit him. He then struck back, after which a fight broke out.
“It was literally three against one,” he said.
During the confrontation, he tried to protect himself from the attacks. He sustained serious injuries to his hand and face.
Children barely recognised their father
Komproe described how profound the period after the violent incident has been for him and his family. Due to the injuries to his face, he initially could not eat normally.
He says he depended on liquid food, including soup, yoghurt and custard, which he had to consume through a straw.
The reaction of his children in particular made a deep impression on him. According to Komproe, they found it difficult to see him with his injuries and initially barely recognised him.
The entire situation caused a great deal of stress, he said.
Still pain and fear
Although Komproe has since resumed his daily activities, the consequences of the violence have not disappeared. He says he still regularly feels pain, especially in cold weather and when he moves his mouth.
“I still live in fear,” he stated.
According to Komproe, he still often thinks back to the incident and the period during which he had to recover. To take his mind off things, he tries to keep as busy as possible.
Among other things, he is involved in sports activities for schoolchildren, music and work at a cocktail bar in Flora.
Message to fans and artists
Komproe also addressed Kappalani’s fans. He stressed that he does not want to tell anyone which artist they should support or what music they should listen to.
However, he believes that artists should think about their behaviour and the way they present their music to the public.
According to Komproe, artists must be aware of the influence they can have on their audience.
Despite everything, he is trying to continue with his life. He says he does his best every day to put the events behind him, but acknowledges that forgetting remains difficult. “You can forgive, but not forget,” Komproe said.
