Victim Support Netherlands is on Tuesday at the primary school where the kidnapped and eventually deceased Gino van der Straeten (9) was taught. Pupils and teachers of primary school Sint Oda in Maastricht are being guided to process all the events of recent days.
“We will mainly support the teaching team by making this subject a topic for discussion,” explains Roy Heerkens of Victim Support Netherlands.
‘Processing in your own way’
Heerkens: “It is important that children feel safe. And the teachers play an important role in this. Victim support helps the school how all students can be given the space to process it in their own way.” Victim Support was already involved in the school when Gino went missing.
Also read: Grieving among children in the Gino case: ‘Listen carefully’
Normal reactions to an abnormal event
On Tuesday, all kinds of emotions such as anger and sadness will arise. According to Heerkens, it is important to offer space here and to deny that it is good to feel this way. “Children process it in their own way. For example, by playing a game or making drawings, all kinds of reactions arise. Let that happen.”
Order in chaos
The next of kin are assisted by so-called case managers. “They actually bring order to chaos. They know exactly what is coming at them in the event of such terrible events. It is up to the case managers to prioritize matters. In addition, there is of course room for emotional guidance. These people are involved from the very beginning up to and including the final verdict in the case, so that can take years.”
media pressure
A case like this naturally generates a lot of media attention: “At Victim Support we have a special team ‘On behalf of the family’ that can speak.” Gino’s relatives have also received help from a professional spokesperson.