Published: 15-03-2019, Rémon Verkerk
At the beginning of 2019, the Dutch police counted a total of 1774 cold cases. Since 2013, the police have been working structurally to resolve these cases, of which some 57 have now been resolved. The development of forensic detection methods offers many new possibilities and can still lead to the finding of perpetrators and answers to questions from survivors.
What is a cold case?
A cold case is an unsolved life offence (murder or manslaughter) or a very serious offence on which a prison sentence of 12 years or more has been imposed, without this leading to the resolution of the case. A cold case can be re-arrested by the police at any time, if new information becomes available or new developments in detection techniques are available.
Source: www.politie.nl
Success factors
Witnesses
The decisive factor in the resolution of cold cases is the help of (new) witnesses. Their information leads to a breakthrough in more than half of cold case investigations. This in many cases concerns information that has not been shared with the police before. The reasons for not previously sharing this information are diverse. Witnesses have not been heard or have been under the assumption that their information was already known to the police. Unfortunately, there are also witnesses who have information that they wrongly assess to be irrelevant.
Unreliable memory
It also happens that a witness was heard by the police shortly after the crime, but that the police (sometimes wrongly) make the assessment that this witness is not useful by an unreliable sighting. When several witnesses are heard, they will rarely, if ever, declare unequivocally. Memory is a complex organ and not everything a witness believes to remember is in accordance with reality. When witnesses have contact with each other, they can unknowingly ‘adjust’ their memories with the other person’s information. In this way, several witnesses can make an unambiguous, and thus credible statement to the police, who are put on the wrong foot
Dna
Biological traces play an important role in solving crimes. Especially in the field of forensic DNA testing, enormous developments have occurred in recent years. Current legislation makes it possible (subject to conditions) to launch a large-scale DNA kinship study in the case of very serious crimes. In recent studies, such traces play an important role, but this also provides a solution in the case of cold cases. An example of this is the investigation into the murder of Marianne Vaatstra,where a large-scale DNA investigation led to the perpetrator.
Digital Forensics
Even within the field of digital research, development has not stopped. New investigative techniques and exponentially increased computing power provide insight into data that remained hidden from the detective’s eye years ago. Cracking secure files, recovering erased data and understanding complex data structures are just a few things that can lead to new insights.
We go for the truth
PSG is assisting bereaved families in finding new evidence in cold cases and ongoing investigations, doing everything we can not to obsify ongoing police investigations. Our multi-diciplinary team of forensic and tactical private investigators go to great lengths to force a breakthrough; perseverance prevails. We do not undo the suffering, but hopefully answers will contribute to more ‘peace’.
Even if the information is summary or seemingly insignificant, the information relates to a crime committed a long time ago. Each tip can be the last piece of the puzzle, or the first and thus the impetus for the resolution of a crime.
How you can help..
Do you think you have information that can help the police solve a crime?
- Call the tracking tip line at 0800-6070 (free)
- Call Confidential with National Intelligence Team (TNI) at 079-3458999
- Call Anonymous with Report Crime Anonymous at 0800-7000 (free)