Relatives call for committee to investigate unsolved murder cases

Relatives of murder victims are calling for the establishment of an independent committee that can take a closer look at files of unsolved cases. The put this request in an open letter to Minister Ard van der Steur of Security and Justice. Lawyer Job Koester, who wrote the letter on behalf of relatives of ten victims, confirmed this to NOS on Friday. According to him, relatives who do not agree with justice's conclusions, or believe that the investigation has not been done properly, currently have nowhere to turn. He concedes that the Public Prosecutor has a quite similar "reflection room", but this does not allow relatives access to the file. According to the lawyer, this could, for example, be because the judiciary wants to conceal past mistakes. The letter writers want the committee to consist of people from the judiciary, such as the PUblic Prosecutor, the police, lawyers and forensic experts. Among these relatives is Bauke Vaatstra, the father of Marianne, a teenager murdered in 1999. He pleaded for voluntary DNA testing for years. And when it finally happened, the culprit was caused. The parents of Leon Groeneweg from Schiedam are also involved. The 19 year old boy disappeared in 2008 and was later found dead in the Brielse Meer in Oostvoorne. His parents believe that he was murdered, but justice can't find evidence of a crime.