Gouda mourns woman killed by ex-partner in silent march
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Around 100 people gathered Saturday in Gouda for a silent march honoring 39-year-old Joeweela de Gelder, who was shot and killed on July 15 in front of her two young children. Attendees carried white balloons and photos of De Gelder during the emotional tribute, L1 Nieuws reports.
De Gelder, originally from Amstenrade, had been staying at a women’s shelter in Gouda to escape her 53-year-old ex-partner, Driekus K., who is believed to have ambushed and murdered her on Bosweg in the Korte Akkeren neighborhood.
Several witnesses reported hearing multiple shots around 3:30 p.m. She died at the scene. K. later took his own life in the dunes near Scheveningen. Authorities now believe De Gelder may have been lured to the location under false pretenses and say a second suspect is under investigation.
According to family members and sources previously cited by De Telegraaf, De Gelder received a call from a woman who promised to help arrange a meeting with her teenage daughter from a previous relationship. The woman allegedly gained her trust. On the day of the killing, De Gelder brought her son and daughter to the agreed meeting point, where instead of the woman, K. was waiting. He shot her multiple times in front of their children. A month earlier, in June, she had filed assault charges against K., who was arrested for illegal firearm possession but released two weeks later.
Saturday’s march began at a community center in Gouda and ended at the site of the killing. There, relatives laid flowers, lit candles, and listened to music. Gouda alderman Ineke Schaddelee gave a speech on femicide. The event concluded with the release of white balloons.
De Gelder was buried last Friday. Her funeral mass took place in Amstenrade, and she was laid to rest in the family grave in Helmond beside her mother, who was also killed by a partner 30 years ago. “She was a mother, a niece, an aunt. Not a possession,” mourners reportedly said during the service.
A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than 4,600 euros for De Gelder’s children.
