Police asking for help in three cases before the end of the year

Police in the Netherlands want to draw attention to three tragic, unsolved cases before the end of the year. A fatal shooting in Houten, another on a busy terrace in Rotterdam, and a deceased baby found on an island in Lekkerkerk need extra attention from the public, police said on Monday. They released a campaign including posters, adverts, and cinema commercials.

These cases, which all happened between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2023, are at risk of hitting a wall without new information, the police said. Therefore, they have also distributed flyers and radio spots, and an extra edition of crime watch program Opsporing Verzocht will be broadcast on December 28.

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has added a reward for the Lekkerkerk case, and the reward for the other two cases is being raised.

The body of a small girl was found in March of this year on an island in the Lek on Lekkerkerk. The baby turned out to be born without medical supervision after a full-term pregnancy. The police want to know who she is and who her parents are. Mayor Pauline Buovy-Koene of Krimpenerwaard, which includes Lekkerkerk, will visit the scene on Monday to lay flowers.

There was a shooting at a busy terrace on the Tiendplein in Rotterdam on Saturday, October 29, 2022. It left a 30-year-old man seriously wounded, and he died of his injuries in hospital. Despite images of the shooter being shared publicly during the investigation, there has not been a breakthrough. It is possible that the bullets were meant for somebody else. The reward for a crucial lead has been raised to 30,000 euros.

A 37-year-old man also died in Houten, Utrecht, on April 20. He was shot and killed while conversing near his childhood home. The gunman had been waiting for him at the time.