1/3 Esther’s car says ‘For the noise’.
What should have been a festive fiftieth birthday ended with a sour aftertaste. The car of Esther Witte from Oss was destroyed on Sunday morning. “For the noise,” is written in paint on her car. Even though she had informed the entire neighborhood in advance about her party. “I’m sick of it.”
“I’m so angry. I don’t understand it,” Esther begins her story. On Sunday morning she discovered that her car had been treated with paint and a knife. The reason? Esther celebrated her birthday in the garden last Friday.
“Of course the neighbors hear that, so that’s why I informed everyone.” She placed notes in the mail at about sixty addresses in the area well in advance. It also contained her telephone number, so that people could call her if the noise bothered them. “It was a very nice party and the noise wasn’t too bad. I heard that from several neighbors. After half past one in the morning it was quiet. Looking back I think: I wish I hadn’t done it,” sighs Esther.
“I should have called the police if necessary.”
On Sunday morning, the new Sarah woke up to many missed calls from local residents. Not to congratulate her, but to ask if she had seen her car that morning. “I immediately walked outside and was very shocked.” “For the noise” was written in large letters on the side of her cars. The roof, which is made of fabric, was full of cracks. “I think that was done with a large knife, because the cracks are so big and deep. My entire roof was cut open.”
Esther can’t believe someone from the neighborhood did something like that. “If you have normal norms and values, you wouldn’t do this, would you?”, she wonders out loud. “I think it’s really crazy that someone could do something like that. If you thought there was so much noise, you should have rang the doorbell or sent me a message. Or if necessary, you should have called the police.”
“I feel threatened.”
So that didn’t happen. Esther suspects that her party on Friday is not the only reason her car was damaged. A day later, on Saturday evening, other local residents also threw a party. “The music was a bit louder. I don’t care about that, a party should be possible once in a while. Maybe the person who destroyed my car thought I had two parties in a row.”
Esther is now left with a large bill. She did not have comprehensive insurance for her car and has to pay for everything herself. “The paint will still come off, but the roof needs to be replaced. That will cost me about three thousand euros.” Although she doesn’t even think that’s the worst thing. “I no longer feel safe, I resent that. I feel threatened. I am now afraid that if I do something that someone does not like, something will be destroyed again.”
She filed a report with the police. On Sunday, Esther visited local residents to ask if they had camera images from last night that might show the perpetrator. “I would prefer to see the perpetrator punished, but I don’t think I will ever find out who did this.”