Dutch couple suspected in daughter’s death, multiple homicides

The Rotterdam police's cold case team arrested a man and a woman on suspicion of involvement in their 29-year-old daughter's death in 2012. The 63-year-old man and 58-year-old woman from Zwaag were arrested two weeks ago and remanded into custody for 30 days on Tuesday, the Public Prosecutor announced on Thursday.

The 29-year-old woman died in 2012. The authorities initially believed she committed suicide, but the cold case team reopened the investigation after another daughter of the 58-year-old woman committed suicide in 2016 after being treated in a care institution in Meerkerk. The two - the 29-year-old woman's mother and stepfather - are suspected of murder or deliberately administering a lethal drug, the Prosecutor said.

The cold case team is investigating whether the suspects are involved in any other cases. "We are looking at three other deaths, of people who were treated at the same care institution. Initially suicide was assumed. Now there is the suspicion of murder", Prosecutor Thomas Slieker said to RTV Rijnmond. One of these deaths is that of the young woman in 2016, the younger sister of the 29-year-old woman now believed murdered in 2012.

The young woman who committed suicide in 2016, did so after being sexually abused in a healthcare institution in Meerkerk. The 77-year-old owner of the institution - Aaldert van E. of institution Hoeve Jedidja, according to AD - is suspected of sexually abusing the young woman and will appear in court later this month. The mother of both young women also worked at the institution.

According to NOS, Van E. was convicted of sexually abusing multiple patients in 2016. He is not suspected of involvement in the deaths.

Incidentally, another therapist at the same healthcare institution is also a suspect in another sexual abuse case. The 62-year-old Belgian will appear in court on February 14th.