Justice is still offering 50,000 euros for the golden tip about the attack on the town hall of Waalre. That attack took place ten years ago. At the time, it was the highest reward the Public Prosecution Service has ever offered. “An attack on democracy: you want to hold someone accountable for that,” says press officer Janine Kramer.
Part of the town hall in Waalre was destroyed by fire in the night of 17 to 18 July 2012. Two cars had entered the building. It soon became clear that it was an attack. “As soon as the emergency services arrived, the entire town hall was already ablaze. That fire was already so big that it had to be arson,” says the press officer.
“We see it as an attack on the rule of law. Really focused on the town hall. The research therefore focused on the question: who has a conflict with the municipality?
“The police were really keen to solve this.”
The investigation was immediately tackled with forty detectives who were assigned to the case. Press officer Janine Kramer: “They went looking for a motive. What decisions has the congregation made that went wrong with someone? We’ve all looked at that. To quarrels that could have been. People who were angry with the mayor.”
The investigation lasted almost three years. “Camera images in the area have been looked at. Tracks have been secured. Only the latter is difficult. You can imagine: a lot is lost in a fire. Because of the fire itself, but also because of the extinguishing work of the fire brigade. It’s a difficult investigation, but we found this so bad – and still do – that the police were really eager to solve it.”
Three suspects were arrested during the investigation. “They came into the picture as performers. An investigation has been conducted into the arson itself, but also into the days before. Have there been any preliminary reconnaissances? The image showed a car that was seen with the two cars that drove in. The suspects were in that car a few days before the attack. They had also bought flammable liquid.” The three suspects were released and two of them even received compensation.
“There are always people in the area who know something about this.”
Janine Kramer: “If you want to have those people convicted in court, you really need legal and convincing evidence. Then a feeling or a suspicion is not enough. So we didn’t take the case to court. The police team put a lot of time and energy into the question of who the client was. We never got that clear. For almost three years, every effort has been made to complete this case. To clarify who is responsible for the assignment and for the execution. Unfortunately, we never got to the point where anyone could be prosecuted.”
The investigation was concluded in 2015. The reward of 50,000 euros has never been withdrawn. “It’s a high reward. Then the question is: do you persuade criminals to make statements about themselves or about the co-perpetrators? We consider that chance small, but there are always people in the area who know something about this. Just think of a partner or an ex-partner, an acquaintance. It sometimes happens that someone still starts talking after an argument or because of a pang of conscience. If valuable information comes in that leads to a solution of this case, then that 50,000 euros will still be paid out.”
The press officer: “It is very frustrating that we have not been able to bring anyone to court. It is one of the more serious crimes there has been. Unfortunately, we can’t resolve some issues. No matter how hard you try. Sometimes you just don’t find the last puzzle piece.”
