Residents of the Alderman Notenplein in Beek en Donk are completely done with a neighbor. Not only are parrots a nuisance. He also knows about mittens himself. “I have enjoyed living here for 25 years. Not anymore,” says neighbor Marij van Oorschot (68).
Since the man moved into the house next to her four years ago, the peace in the neighborhood where mainly elderly people live has been lost. The neighbor keeps parrots in his backyard and they make a lot of noise. The bird sound drives Marij and other residents insane. But since Marij has said something about it, it’s war.
“In the supermarket he even came at me with a full fist.”
According to local residents, the man threatens people in the neighborhood, he previously smashed a window and smeared a number of neighbors’ gates with paint. “When you walk past, he already starts cursing,” Marij says heatedly. “In the supermarket he even came at me with a full fist. I always respect older people, but not him. He is capable of anything.”
Neighbor Wim Dortu himself denies all allegations. According to him, a smear campaign is being conducted against him and his now deceased roommate. He bursts into tears. “I am at. I’ve already had to sell seven birds and they’re also coming to pick up the last one. If I also have to leave my house, I choose death. I don’t see any other perspective.”
“He smashed everything in his rented house when he had to get out.”
Wim had to move four times in the past, because he also caused a nuisance in other places. “Twenty years ago he also bred dogs in addition to parrots. He had 25,” says neighbor Hans Van de Weijer (68), who also lived nearby at the time. “When he had to leave after seven years, he smashed everything in that rented house.”
The neighborhood fears that this will happen again. The housing corporation has filed a case and it should become clear on Thursday whether Wim should indeed leave. Although, according to Marij, reprisals could just follow, she hopes to finally have peace. She gets tears in her eyes. “It must be over. I want to get on with my life and not with a neighbor like that.”
