Acting and communication are not well coordinated. Risks are underestimated. Evidence disappears. Signals that are not picked up properly. The report on police action in the run -up to the double murder in Weiteveen is not lying. The police go through the dust and acknowledges that things should have been better. Such as taking the weapons of the suspect earlier.
“As a police, we have not achieved our professional standard, I find that particularly painful and I regret that.” For example, police chief Martin Sitalsing of the Northern Netherlands unit responds to the evaluation report in the Weiteveen case. The police examined their own performance in the run -up to the double murder in Weiteveen. And the findings are not tender: major mistakes were made.
51-year-old Richard K. shot the 44-year-old Ineke in her car last January. Then he killed the 38-year-old Sam, Ineke’s husband, with a lot of violence. A high -running conflict about the sale of a home preceded the murders. The parties involved sounded no less than 80 times with the police. A total of four declarations were made.
The way the beauty prize deserves the way in which this information was handled, the report shows. Reports and information arrive at various departments via telephone, social media or e-mail. “Each department captures it in its own way. Some record nothing at all,” explains Sitalsing.
This separate treatment does not create a complete picture of the situation. As a result, a targeted approach is not forthcoming. “All these signals were never brought together and then no direction was carried out when it comes to estimating risks.”
The declarations also go wrong: the declarants are incorrectly informed. This way, some of the declarations will not have a concrete consequence. If the declarant informs about it, he will be told that the earlier declarations are still being processed. While that is no longer the case. “I regret that and it is not neat. But sometimes there is a declaration for assessment at the OM or with one of our departments. And then it is said too quickly that the case is still being processed. A carelessness in our work.”
Ineke tried to report a report because of stalking by K. but signals were not recognized and stalking was not thought of by the police. “Stalking is usually about ex-partners, famous people or particularly obsessive cases. In this case there is a spicy conflict about a home, in which people swing everything at each other’s heads. The aspect of stalking is more difficult to recognize therein . “
According to Sitalsing, the police should have seized the weapons of K. faster. K. has a weapon permit and has some firearms, both legal and illegal. Already in April 2023, K. comes into the picture with the police. In July the girlfriend of K. reports to the police. According to her, he has a “brain disorder, so he can be over -stimulated.” This could have been a reason to intervene, Sitalsing acknowledges.
In September the police are looking for K.. His house is visited and he is called, but the police are not in contact. “We wanted to check whether or not we had to withdraw the permit.”
After the attempt in September, no more action will be taken. “But we should have intervened,” said the police chief. The permit should have been withdrawn and the weapons had to be seized, according to Sitalsing. But taking that step in time did not mean that the murders could have been prevented, he emphasizes.
Regarding the conclusions and recommendations, it all speaks for itself. The police must be able to place incidents in a broader context faster. There must be better registering and cooperation faster. Not only internally, but also with parties such as the OM and the municipality. A weapon license may only be issued if a medical statement has first been issued.
The outcome of the investigation is no reason for Sitalsing and others to step up. “It is not possible to count on individuals, it is a teamwork. And we want to learn as an organization.”
Sitalsing understands that all announced improvements are too late for the fatalities and the relatives. Whether there is still a regret to the relatives? “I can only bless that it hurts me a lot that this happened. I just feel the sadness towards the parents, the children and all those involved in the area. I find this very painful.”