The dismay in the village of Hoogeloon is great on Wednesday morning after the inhabitants woke up with the news that the body of their fellow villager Silvana was found after a days-long search. The thoughts of the fellow villagers and also of mayor Remco Bosma are mainly with Silvana’s children.
“They are at school here. So you see them every day,” says a man. “How are they supposed to continue? It’s so unbelievable,” he sighs.
Mayor Bosma van Bladel, which includes Hoogeloon, also expressed his support for the children, the family and the people who were close to Silvana on Wednesday morning. “My first thoughts are with them,” he says. “It is important that we support them in this loss.” In that respect, he has every confidence in the ‘small and close-knit community’ that Hoogeloon is in his words.
“You still have a small hope that they find her alive.”
Locals whom our reporter spoke to indicate that the sad outcome of the search was not unexpected for them. “But you still have a small hope that they find her alive,” says someone. “That she suddenly arrives,” says another.
In the village, the case has been the talk of the town since Saturday, when Silvana’s missing person came out. “Everyone here knows each other at least by sight, so you empathize”, is a common response.
In addition to defeat, there is also a certain sense of relief in the village. Relief that there is finally clarity for Silvana’s family.
