The 39-year-old Joeweela from Eindhoven was shot in Gouda on Tuesday by her ex-husband Driekus K., in front of their young children. The news arrived hard in the Limburg caravan camp in Amstenrade, where Joeweela grew up and where her family still lives. Her uncle and aunt tell L1 how there was violence and threats from the start. “We warned her countless times, but why she stayed with him, no idea.”
Uncle Heino and Aunt Frouke brought Joeweela Groot to the camp in Amstenrade, because her parents no longer lived. They tell L1 How she left the camp nine years ago to live at Driekus in Eindhoven.
Nine years full of violence and intimidation
According to the family, Joeweela met Driekus when he was still in prison for a murder attempt on his previous partner. Soon the family members saw how dangerous he was “we warned her countless times, but why she stayed with him, no idea.”
The family speaks in nine years full of violence and intimidation. “He took off her passport and her benefit was also taken. She was completely forced, but went back to him several times. Love may make blind or perhaps she just dared nothing else anymore. Because she actually wanted to go back to Amstenrade, but she couldn’t do that at all,” says her uncle.
‘He was no longer welcome at the camp’
The fear of K. became so great that Joeweela no longer dared to come to her family. “We have reported a report several times. He even came to the camp once, but then we denied him access. He was no longer welcome here. But because he also threatened to do something about the family, Joeweela no longer dared to come to us.”
Four stay-of-my-body houses
In recent years, Joeweela has stayed in various stay-of-my-body houses, shelters where people can go victim of domestic violence. She was in Maastricht, Eindhoven and Den Bosch, and the last three weeks in Gouda, together with her children. The addresses of these houses must normally be secret. Yet K. managed to find out that his ex was in Gouda. “We don’t know how. Just before the shooting, she also called someone, it seems that she was lured out of the house. We have told the police all of that, I hope they are all investigating that, because perhaps there may be any more complicit.”
Criticism of the police and the judiciary
The family does not understand how things could go so wrong. “How is it possible that someone is still walking around freely after so many threats and reports. He had announced on Facebook to do something to her. Fortunately the children remained unharmed, but that could have ended differently,” says Heino de Gelder.
Funeral in Amstenrade
The family members of Joeweela are arranging a farewell. Next Friday is the funeral service in Amstenrade. Then a funeral procession goes to Helmond where she is buried in a family grave.