The disappearance of Gino van der Straeten on Wednesday evening evoked unpleasant memories in Limburg of the disappearance of Nicky Verstappen and the discovery of his body in August 1998. Both times a boy disappeared in the Parkstad. At the time, an eleven-year-old from a youth camp on the Brunssumerheide. Now a nine-year-old with his scooter in Kerkrade.
The inhabitants of the southernmost province of the Netherlands hoped for a better outcome this time. They looked out for Gino. Some of them volunteered to help with the search. On Thursday evening, the boy’s scooter was found at a sports complex in Landgraaf. On Friday evening, a square in Kerkrade was closed off due to the discovery of a piece of clothing that may have been related to the disappearance.
The regional newspaper The Limburger did not open on Saturday with the decision of the Provincial Council to keep Maastricht Aachen Airport open, but with an article under the headline ‘A frantic search fruitless’. Not even news was news in the case of a case that so preoccupied the mind.
Clue suspect
During the day, the police released new reports: first about the arrest of a suspect in the night from Friday to Saturday in Geleen, then about the discovery of a body in the same place. With some reservations at that time: “The police are taking serious account of the missing Gino.”
During a press conference at the police station in Maastricht on Saturday at the end of the afternoon, it was confirmed that it was indeed the remains of the boy. It was found on the instructions of the suspect, a 22-year-old man from Geleen, near a house in that place that burned down three weeks ago. It’s a different house than the one where the suspect was arrested. For the time being, both places are considered crime scenes.
De Gelener came into contact with the law before, but it is unclear for which offenses. He will be presented to the examining magistrate in the course of next week. The most serious suspicion for now is “involvement in Gino’s death”.
According to Xander Beenhakkers, head of operations at the Limburg police, the suspect first came into the picture of the investigative authorities on Friday afternoon: “Thanks to the deployment of all available resources, both tactical and forensic, but also the deployment of numerous volunteers. It was the sum of all those traces.” The police could not say whether the suspect is also the man who was seen by witnesses on Wednesday evening on the field where the nine-year-old was playing before his disappearance and was last seen.
Helicopter
It should become clear in the near future what exactly has happened since Gino’s disappearance on Wednesday evening and the discovery of his body on Saturday. “Our first and only focus for the past few days has been: find Gino, find Gino, find Gino.”
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A helicopter flew over South Limburg on Saturday. He paid special attention to the places between Kerkrade and Geleen (distance: more than 25 kilometers) where possible finds relevant to the investigation (a scooter, clothing) had already been made in recent days.
Gino will never play football again and never come home
Mayor Petra Dassen van Kerkrade speaks of “a hard blow to the family” and “a raw reality. Gino will never play football again and will never come home.”
Gino had been living with his 32-year-old sister in Kerkrade for a week at the time of his disappearance. This had to do with the deteriorating health condition of his mother, who lives in Maastricht. His father was no longer involved in his upbringing.