In 1998, 11-year-old Nicky was supposed to go to a camp organized by the Youth Work Foundation. Joos Barten. One morning the boy was noticed missing and at first it was assumed he had simply run away. However, the reality turned out to be more terrifying. The Nicky Verstappen case was one of the most famous in the Netherlands. It shocked the residents, and the perpetrator was searched for over 20 years.
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A dream vacation ended tragically. Nicky Verstappen’s story shocked the Netherlands
On Monday at 8 a.m. the boy’s disappearance from the camp was noticed. His parents and the local police station were informed about it at 9 a.m. The search began immediately. It was only the next day that the boy’s body was found in one of the nearby groves. He was only wearing his pants and underwear, which were turned inside out. Due to the high temperature and small stature, the boy’s body quickly began to decompose, which did not make the experts’ work easier. Unfortunately, the investigation was conducted in an unreliable and careless manner from the beginning, which resulted in many mistakes being made. This is, among other things, why for a long time the police suspected Joos Barten, who organized the camp, of this act. He was interrogated by them more than 10 times. However, the man died in 2003 at the age of 85, and years later it was proven that he was not the perpetrator.
Finding the perpetrator and a long-term trial. The experts were unable to answer many questions
The case of Nicky’s tragic fate has been solved for over 20 years, thanks to DNA tests. Over the years, various people were selected to undergo the procedure, and it turned out that the perpetrator’s name was recorded in the files at the very beginning, but he was classified as an accidental witness. It was Jos Brech. During the camp, he became one of the guardians of a group camping near the site of the incident. He was not taken into account even when it came to light in 2001 that he had committed lewd acts against three minor children in 1984-85.
However, this discovery led to the officers informing the Dutch Scout Association about his actions. As a result, he was excluded from working with children, so he became a consultant outside the Netherlands. It even took him to Poland, where he participated in youth camps for years. Jos Brech finally went to trial in 2020. Because the boy’s body was found in a poor condition, it was difficult for experts to determine the cause of death. The court dismissed the charge and charged Brech with unlawful deprivation of liberty with fatal consequences, sentencing him to 12 years and 6 months of imprisonment. On appeal, the sentence was changed to 16 years in prison for murder and possession of child pornography. In 2023, Jos Brech filed a cassation appeal, but the conviction was upheld. Thanks to this, the Nicky Verstappen case has been closed after 25 years.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
