What ended the largest investigation in the history of Holland (9 photos)

In order to find the criminal, law enforcement agencies It took Holland 20 years and the results of the analysis are about 14 thousand DNA samples.





In August 1998, 11-year-old Nicky Verstappen went with other children to a campground near the city of Maatricht. On the the next day - on August 11, the boy was found dead in the forest at one and a half kilometers from the camp. An external examination of the body showed that there were no traces - hematomas, wounds, abrasions. But the boy's pajama pants were on inside out, which gave reason to believe the commission of violent action by the killer.



Nicky Verstappen

In the morning of that day, the guards guarding the perimeter of the military unit, spotted a cyclist. It turned out to be Yos Brekh. During police interrogation he said he was handing out leaflets. And did it so early because of hell the heat that enveloped everything around during the day.



In the morning of that day, the guards guarding the perimeter of the military unit, spotted a cyclist. It turned out to be Yos Brekh. During police interrogation he said he was handing out leaflets. And did it so early because of hell the heat that enveloped everything around during the day.

A detailed examination of the body of the deceased showed that the boy subjected to violence. Nika's feet were clean, but her shoes were left in the tent. That is, the child was pulled out sleepy and taken to the forest in his arms. On pajamas pants found traces of seminal fluid. However, matches in the base the results of the analysis were not given. Two years later, the Verstappen case was closed.



Nicky's sister and mother

The hope of the relatives dawned again when, in 2002, for the cause taken crime journalist Peter Rudolf de Brice. He found out that the director of that same camp, Juice Barter, was once convicted of relationship with a minor. But he refused to give DNA for analysis. Has the criminal been found, and in the case it is possible to put now final point? DNA was allowed to be taken by Barter's relatives after his death. But the result was negative.

And again a thread: in 2007, Nika's grave began to appear strange notes. Is the criminal too exhausted by his deed and trying to beg for forgiveness in this way and let himself be caught? But the detained man simply turned out to be out of his mind and had nothing to do with did not have a murder.

De Bris periodically raised the issue in the press for 20 years the death of a boy. In 2012, the case was referred to an independent group investigations, which had at its disposal the latest tools DNA research. It took a few more years to form a single base. The request for testing was addressed to men in the Limburg district aged from 22 to 75 years old. Thousands of people agreed. But about a third answered refusal. And then the incredible happened: a partial coincidence of the DNA profile. This man turned out to be a relative of the very peddler of leaflets - Jos Brekh, who lived in a wooden house in the forest.



Yos Breh



Yos Breh

The police officers who arrived at the house took a sample for examination. And he gave a perfect match. Brekh himself allegedly went on a long trip. And disappeared. But soon after the criminal was put on the wanted list, the police received a call. The man who called was a Dutchman who lived in Spain. And he said that he saw Jos in the village of Casteltercol near Barcelona. Yos was found and arrested. In September 2018, he was extradited to the Netherlands.



Nicky's mother in court



Detention of Breha

At the trial, Yos was silent, refused to answer questions and give testimony against himself. But to challenge the evidence - the results genetic examination could not. Killer sentenced to 12 years in prison conclusions. At the beginning of this year, the case was reviewed, and the court recognized Breha guilty of manslaughter and increased the sentence by another 4 of the year.



Monument to Nika at the site of his murder