Germa van den Boom has been missing for almost forty years. The then 19-year-old woman disappeared in the middle of the night. The targeted search in a backyard in Nieuwendijk brought hope. But now that the garden has been excavated and nothing has been found, disappointment prevails.
Germa’s uncle used to live at the address on Kildijk. Sixty square meters of the garden was carefully excavated and examined using an excavator and a special radar.
One of the local residents: “I think it’s terrible for people. You want to know where your daughter has gone. Today was another one of those moments when her disappearance was in the news, you get hope again.”
This also applies to Henk Meerman, he is a former police officer who was recalled from a holiday in Zeeland by his boss in 1984. “That was a few days after her disappearance. I was called in to help with the investigation. In my opinion, the search started too late, people thought she would be out with friends for a few days.”
“The book is not closed yet, that last page still needs to be added.”
The case has not let him go for the past 39 years, he continued to follow all the news. “I heard about the search this morning, which was another ray of hope. At this address, I didn’t expect that. But it is a disappointment that nothing was found.”
In October 2022, the Peter R. de Vries Foundation offered a reward of 250,000 euros for the golden tip that would lead to Germa being found. “We had hoped that after all these years there would be clarity for Germa’s family, so the disappointment is very great,” the foundation said.
The police also speak of a downer. Henk Meerman expects that there will be more clarity at some point. “Even if it is on someone’s deathbed. The book is not yet closed, that last page still needs to be added. Even if it is only for her mother. It is sad, very sad.”
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