Inspectorate looks into institutions, care facilities that dealt with Donny M.

The Justice and Security Inspectorate (JenV) is looking into the various organizations responsible for Donny M., the suspect in the kidnapping and murder of 9-year-old Gino van der Straeten. The 22-year-old man already had a history of brushes with the law and a sexual offense conviction, and was receiving psychiatric treatement, AD reports.

Based on the results of this check, the inspectorate whether authorities' dealings with the suspect should be investigated. Relatives and experts are questioning, for example, how someone child abuse in his recent past was allowed to live in a neighborhood with young children.

"How is it possible that such a monster can roam free?" a woman said at a vigil for the boy in Kerkrade on Wednesday. "Why does it have to go so wrong before politics wakes up in the Netherlands?"

Donny M.’s foster parents said he “could not really be left alone” and acquaintances of his reported numerous run-ins with the police, including conflicts, fires and thefts.

Until at least December 2019, Donny M. was under the supervision of the William Schrikker Foundation, which he had to report to “as often as possible” while he was on probation for a sexual offense conviction. Neither the foundation nor the GGZ, where the suspect received mental health treatment after his conviction, would give details about how often he actually showed up.

In addition, the suspect was also in foster care until 2017 at Xonar Foster Care, after which the center never heard from him again, a spokesperson said. In his teens, he also received help from the Talent care agency, attended a special education school in Sittard and went to an after-school program for young people with “care needs.”