372:
several times whether to go to the policeâ, he said. âBut everyone could see how much uproar the case had caused. âIâd destroyed her family. I couldnât change that. I decided to spare my family the pain. My children were five and eight years old at the time.â But he realised that it was a matter of time before the past caught up with him. When police finally gained permission for the unprecedented large-scale DNA sweep, Jasper
Steringa consented to give a sample, knowing that he would otherwise be identified through his close relatives. Even as his unmasking became inevitable, Steringa admitted he lacked the âcourageâ to go to the police confess to the crime. Instead he waited six months for the results to confirm what he knew and the moment that came on the night of November 18, 2012, when police arrived at his farm in Aldwâld to arrest him for Vaatstra's murder.
368:
Feankleaster on the night of April 30, 1999. Steringa, now 45, said he was hit by the sudden thought: âYouâre mine.â He pulled out a pocket knife, seized the girl and raped her before strangling her with her own bra. He then slit her throat with three strokes of the knife. âI donât know where that thought came from,â he told the court on the first day of a hearing to outline the facts of the case. âIâve never had that thought before or since. My conscience switched off. I donât know how or why.â The killing was an act of panic when he realised the consequences of being caught for rape. âI just thought of my family and the discovery and what would happen after that. It all hit me at once.â The murder of
Vaatstra sparked a huge police hunt and sent shockwaves through the Frisian community.
131:
25:
354:
On 29 September 2012, a DNA test was started in a 5 km radius of the crime scene, in which about 8000 males participated. This investigation was all based on free will, they were looking for men with a Y-chromosome DNA-profile like the perpetrator. This resulted in a DNA-match. On 18 November,
258:
in the area around the crime scene. This led to the arrest of local farmer, Jasper
Steringa, on 18 November of that year. He confessed to the rape and murder, and was sentenced to eighteen years' imprisonment. The case was one of the first in the country to be resolved mainly using DNA evidence and
371:
The only clue was a cigarette lighter found at the scene, which had been bought locally and contained a trace of the killer's DNA. He told the court he had chosen to keep quiet to save his young children from the experience of growing up with a father in prison. âIn the last 13 years I considered
367:
On the night of May 1, 1999, Steringa saw
Vaatstra on her bike. He stated that he did not know her. Steringa forced Vaatstra with a knife into the field where she was later found dead. In a packed courtroom in Leeuwarden, Steringa described how he grabbed Vaatstra as she walked along a path in
359:, only 2.5 km from the crime scene, was arrested. He did not immediately talk to the police but within 10 minutes of meeting his lawyer, he admitted to murdering Vaastra. The next day police announced it had found a match. On 6 December, Jasper Steringa confessed to Vaatstra's murder.
640:
380:
Steringa's criminal trial opened on March 28. The public prosecutor asked for a twenty-year sentence for the perpetrator. On 19 April 2013 the court in
Leeuwarden sentenced Steringa to a term of 18 years in prison for the rape and murder of Vaatstra.
271:
were readied in the weeks following the murder, to intervene in the case of fighting between locals and refugees. At a municipal information meeting in
October 1999, about the opening of a new center in the town, locals rioted, with Kollumer youth
302:
had stated the arrest was made under political pressure. The Iraqi was found innocent of the murder by DNA evidence. In 2002, a final decision was made to open an asylum seekers' refuge at the planned location, without drawing local protests.
283:, was arrested in late May 1999, but was subsequently released because his DNA did not match that found at the crime scene. He would become the first in a series of twelve suspects who were similarly arrested and released.
310:
of the perpetrator, who they suspected to be a white, Western
European male, living less than 15 km from the crime scene. Eventually, the case was closed, then reopened in 2002 for a year before being closed again.
389:
Vaatstra's father Bauke
Vaatstra was awarded the "Machiavelli Prize" in 2013, for forcing a breakthrough in the use of DNA profiling as a means of investigation. The award became controversial after the director the
224:; 10 August 1982 â 1 May 1999) was a Dutch girl whose rape and murder became a high-profile criminal case in the Netherlands. Vaatstra, then sixteen years old, was last seen alive cycling from
780:
405:
Later in 2013, author Wim
Dankbaar was sued by Vaatstra's mother Maaike Terpstra, when Dankbaar planned to publish her diaries. Dankbaar, a former collaborator of crime reporter
306:
A DNA sweep was started in
December 1999, initially targeting 170 men in the area, of whom 162 cooperated. No match was found. The following year, investigators published a
507:
1221:
773:
683:
326:
The murder got a lot of attention from the local press. A theme that was mentioned a lot was that they suspected that the murderer could be a civilian from the
416:
Another conspiracy theorist, Micha Kat, was arrested in January 2013 for threatening Jasper S.'s lawyer. He had accused the attorney of being "one of Jasper's
1196:
42:
951:
1117:
766:
286:
From August 1999, police investigation of Vaatstra's murder focused on the asylum seekers' center near Kollum. The center's guards had reported that an
1191:
525:
267:
The population of Kollum was quick to blame inhabitants of the local asylum seekers' center for the murder. The center's security was upgraded, and
831:
550:
1211:
703:
1111:
89:
467:
1186:
1105:
61:
108:
68:
746:
1216:
1206:
334:
from Iraq and Afghanistan became suspects, but based on the genetic fingerprints DNA-profiling they were no longer the suspects.
609:
1201:
1152:
975:
442:
75:
46:
394:
VluchtelingenWerk, which looks after the interests of refugees, filed a complaint against Vaatstra, who allegedly had made
843:
807:
654:
409:(who distanced himself from Dankbaar), cited from the diaries (obtained via a friend of Terpstra's) in the context of his
391:
1010:
825:
57:
721:
891:
624:
1158:
1022:
813:
489:
1146:
981:
437:
236:
1129:
801:
323:
had arrested at least 12 suspects. DNA was collected from more than 900 people as part of a DNA investigation.
475:
35:
290:
refugee had left the center on the night of the murder, and had been missing since. He was tracked down by
1164:
879:
399:
82:
1123:
732:
424:. Kat was tried for making death threats, as well as several unrelated allegations, including that of
987:
867:
320:
299:
130:
341:
called to reinvestigate the police-analyses. In June 2007 and in June 2010, member of parliament
957:
758:
648:
307:
1076:
849:
667:
241:
927:
885:
410:
406:
347:
276:
the mayor. At least one woman, who had incited the riots, was convicted for a racist offence.
232:, her throat slit. Traces of the perpetrator's blood and semen were also found at the scene.
969:
939:
688:
425:
228:
to her parents' house in De Westereen. Her body was found the next day, in a field close to
1046:
963:
855:
338:
298:
in October, but the investigation became a national controversy after an official of the
1070:
837:
819:
331:
220:
1180:
1058:
945:
255:
247:
643:. Amsterdam Herald. Amsterdam Herald. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014.
1034:
933:
915:
395:
345:(VVD) asked questions about the case during a meeting. Also the television program
327:
280:
229:
175:
155:
1064:
1040:
861:
592:
571:
417:
342:
268:
159:
24:
1028:
873:
730:
De Vries's distancing himself from Dankbaar happens in the video excerpt from
356:
1082:
1052:
1016:
921:
421:
251:
526:"Geef jij je wangslijm aan de overheid? Debat over DNA-onderzoek barst los"
259:
led to widespread debate about the use of DNA for criminal investigations.
295:
291:
747:"Publicist Micha Kat gearresteerd wegens bedreiging advocaat Jasper S."
551:"Doorbraak na dertien jaar: de belangrijkste momenten in zaak-Vaatstra"
704:"Aangifte tegen Bauke Vaatstra â 'mag Machiavelliprijs niet krijgen'"
273:
225:
287:
762:
398:
against him in 1999. The police did not investigate, since the
593:"Korthals: voldoende verdenking tegen Irakees voor aanhouding"
18:
235:
The blame was quickly pointed to inhabitants of the local
641:"DNA sweep solves murder of teenage girl after 13 years"
684:"Bauke Vaatstra neemt Machiavelliprijs in ontvangst"
610:
Jasper S. (45) opgepakt voor moord Marianne Vaatstra
1139:
1096:
1003:
908:
901:
794:
200:
190:
182:
165:
140:
123:
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
420:", involved in a conspiracy to use Jasper S. as a
722:"Moeder Vaatstra eist dwangsom om quotes dagboek"
351:took a lot of time to investigate on this case.
254:until it was reopened in 2012 with large-scale
789:Violent deaths in the Netherlands (since 1945)
774:
490:"Jasper S. bekende moord meteen aan advocaat"
8:
625:Jasper S. bekent moord op Marianne Vaatstra
545:
543:
541:
539:
461:
459:
457:
402:. Vaatstra denied having made the threats.
1118:Alphen aan den Rijn shopping mall shooting
905:
781:
767:
759:
587:
585:
186:Raped, then strangled and stabbed to death
1222:Violence against women in the Netherlands
508:"18 jaar voor Jasper S. in zaak Vaatstra"
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
355:Jasper Steringa, a 45-year-old man from
279:A first suspect, a 32-year-old man from
514:. Netherlands Judiciary. 19 April 2013.
453:
646:
566:
564:
348:Peter R. de Vries, misdaadverslaggever
120:
219:
7:
47:adding citations to reliable sources
1197:Deaths by person in the Netherlands
337:In May 2006, member of parliament
14:
572:"Toch asielzoekerscentrum Kollum"
466:Fons de Poel (24 February 2013).
1112:Attack on the Dutch royal family
129:
23:
1192:1999 murders in the Netherlands
952:Nick Spanos and Stephen Melrose
736:, at the bottom of the article.
263:Initial investigation and riots
34:needs additional citations for
1212:Missing person cases in Europe
1106:IRA attacks in the Netherlands
443:Killing of Nicole van den Hurk
221:[maËriËjÉnÉËvaËtstraË]
135:Monument for Marianne Vaatstra
1:
468:"Vreemdeling uit eigen kring"
58:"Murder of Marianne Vaatstra"
413:regarding the murder case.
124:Murder of Marianne Vaatstra
1238:
1187:1990s missing person cases
668:18 jaar cel voor Jasper S.
321:public prosecution service
300:Public Prosecution Service
653:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
438:Death of Nicky Verstappen
315:Investigation and suspect
250:ensued. The murder was a
128:
1217:Rape in the Netherlands
1207:Formerly missing people
237:asylum seekers' refuge
1202:Female murder victims
1124:Utrecht tram shooting
733:De wereld draait door
612:â Hart van Nederland
308:psychological profile
246:, and a riot against
988:Deventer murder case
868:Mohammad-Reza Kolahi
385:Further developments
217:Dutch pronunciation:
43:improve this article
1153:Rishi Chandrikasing
1130:Rotterdam shootings
1065:Jay-Ronne Grootfaam
976:Nicole van den Hurk
832:Konstantin Dimitrov
728:. 11 December 2013.
692:. 12 February 2013.
557:. 19 November 2012.
532:. 20 November 2012.
400:statute had expired
330:nearby Kollum. Two
196:(November 19, 2012)
958:Roy Francis Adkins
752:. 19 January 2013.
710:. 19 January 2013.
496:. 6 December 2012.
1174:
1173:
1092:
1091:
994:Marianne Vaatstra
928:Kerwin Duinmeijer
892:Peter R. de Vries
886:Martin van de Pol
411:conspiracy theory
407:Peter R. de Vries
213:Marianne Vaatstra
210:
209:
144:Marianne Vaatstra
119:
118:
111:
93:
16:Dutch murder case
1229:
982:Nicky Verstappen
940:Gerrit Jan Heijn
906:
783:
776:
769:
760:
754:
753:
743:
737:
729:
718:
712:
711:
700:
694:
693:
689:Algemeen Dagblad
680:
674:
673:
665:
659:
658:
652:
644:
637:
631:
630:
622:
616:
615:
607:
601:
600:
589:
580:
579:
568:
559:
558:
547:
534:
533:
522:
516:
515:
504:
498:
497:
486:
480:
479:
463:
426:Holocaust denial
294:and arrested in
245:
223:
218:
206:(April 19, 2013)
172:
152:
150:
133:
121:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
1237:
1236:
1232:
1231:
1230:
1228:
1227:
1226:
1177:
1176:
1175:
1170:
1159:Mitch Henriquez
1140:Police killings
1135:
1098:
1088:
1077:JergĂŠ Hoefdraad
1047:Facebook murder
999:
964:Teteringen Girl
916:Sebilla Niemans
897:
856:Sven Westendorp
790:
787:
757:
750:NRC Handelsblad
745:
744:
740:
726:NRC Handelsblad
720:
719:
715:
708:NRC Handelsblad
702:
701:
697:
682:
681:
677:
671:
666:
662:
645:
639:
638:
634:
628:
623:
619:
613:
608:
604:
599:. 26 June 2001.
597:NRC Handelsblad
591:
590:
583:
576:NRC Handelsblad
570:
569:
562:
555:NRC Handelsblad
549:
548:
537:
530:NRC Handelsblad
524:
523:
519:
506:
505:
501:
494:NRC Handelsblad
488:
487:
483:
465:
464:
455:
451:
434:
387:
378:
365:
339:Hilbrand Nawijn
317:
265:
239:
216:
205:
204:Jasper Steringa
195:
194:Jasper Steringa
174:
170:
154:
148:
146:
145:
136:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1235:
1233:
1225:
1224:
1219:
1214:
1209:
1204:
1199:
1194:
1189:
1179:
1178:
1172:
1171:
1169:
1168:
1162:
1156:
1150:
1147:Michael Koomen
1143:
1141:
1137:
1136:
1134:
1133:
1127:
1121:
1115:
1109:
1102:
1100:
1094:
1093:
1090:
1089:
1087:
1086:
1080:
1074:
1071:Kelvin Maynard
1068:
1062:
1056:
1050:
1044:
1038:
1032:
1026:
1023:RenĂŠ Steegmans
1020:
1014:
1007:
1005:
1001:
1000:
998:
997:
991:
985:
979:
973:
967:
961:
955:
949:
943:
937:
931:
925:
919:
912:
910:
903:
899:
898:
896:
895:
889:
883:
877:
871:
865:
859:
853:
847:
841:
838:Willem Endstra
835:
829:
823:
820:Ibrahim Akasha
817:
814:Klaas Bruinsma
811:
805:
798:
796:
795:Assassinations
792:
791:
788:
786:
785:
778:
771:
763:
756:
755:
738:
713:
695:
675:
660:
632:
617:
602:
581:
578:. 7 June 2002.
560:
535:
517:
512:rechtspraak.nl
499:
481:
452:
450:
447:
446:
445:
440:
433:
430:
386:
383:
377:
374:
364:
361:
332:asylum seekers
316:
313:
264:
261:
248:asylum seekers
208:
207:
202:
198:
197:
192:
188:
187:
184:
183:Cause of death
180:
179:
173:(aged 16)
167:
163:
162:
153:10 August 1982
142:
138:
137:
134:
126:
125:
117:
116:
99:September 2014
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1234:
1223:
1220:
1218:
1215:
1213:
1210:
1208:
1205:
1203:
1200:
1198:
1195:
1193:
1190:
1188:
1185:
1184:
1182:
1166:
1163:
1160:
1157:
1154:
1151:
1148:
1145:
1144:
1142:
1138:
1131:
1128:
1125:
1122:
1119:
1116:
1113:
1110:
1107:
1104:
1103:
1101:
1095:
1084:
1081:
1078:
1075:
1072:
1069:
1066:
1063:
1060:
1059:Faisal Mssyeh
1057:
1054:
1051:
1048:
1045:
1042:
1039:
1036:
1033:
1030:
1027:
1024:
1021:
1018:
1015:
1012:
1009:
1008:
1006:
1002:
995:
992:
989:
986:
983:
980:
977:
974:
971:
970:Danny Leclère
968:
965:
962:
959:
956:
953:
950:
947:
946:Wim Hogenkamp
944:
941:
938:
935:
932:
929:
926:
923:
920:
917:
914:
913:
911:
907:
904:
900:
893:
890:
887:
884:
881:
878:
875:
872:
869:
866:
863:
860:
857:
854:
851:
848:
845:
844:Theo van Gogh
842:
839:
836:
833:
830:
827:
824:
821:
818:
815:
812:
809:
806:
803:
802:Richard Sykes
800:
799:
797:
793:
784:
779:
777:
772:
770:
765:
764:
761:
751:
748:
742:
739:
735:
734:
727:
723:
717:
714:
709:
705:
699:
696:
691:
690:
685:
679:
676:
669:
664:
661:
656:
650:
642:
636:
633:
626:
621:
618:
611:
606:
603:
598:
594:
588:
586:
582:
577:
573:
567:
565:
561:
556:
552:
546:
544:
542:
540:
536:
531:
527:
521:
518:
513:
509:
503:
500:
495:
491:
485:
482:
477:
473:
469:
462:
460:
458:
454:
448:
444:
441:
439:
436:
435:
431:
429:
427:
423:
419:
414:
412:
408:
403:
401:
397:
396:death threats
393:
384:
382:
375:
373:
369:
362:
360:
358:
352:
350:
349:
344:
340:
335:
333:
329:
324:
322:
314:
312:
309:
304:
301:
297:
293:
289:
284:
282:
277:
275:
270:
262:
260:
257:
256:DNA profiling
253:
249:
243:
238:
233:
231:
227:
222:
214:
203:
199:
193:
189:
185:
181:
178:, Netherlands
177:
168:
164:
161:
157:
143:
139:
132:
127:
122:
113:
110:
102:
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: â
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
1097:Mass murders
1083:Danzel Silos
1035:Evert Hingst
993:
934:Willem Klein
902:Murder cases
880:Derk Wiersum
850:Louis SÊvèke
808:Ahmet Benler
749:
741:
731:
725:
716:
707:
698:
687:
678:
663:
635:
620:
605:
596:
575:
554:
529:
520:
511:
502:
493:
484:
471:
418:executioners
415:
404:
388:
379:
370:
366:
353:
346:
336:
328:refugee camp
325:
318:
305:
285:
281:De Westereen
278:
266:
234:
230:Feankleaster
212:
211:
176:Feankleaster
171:(1999-05-01)
156:De Westereen
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1165:Sammy Baker
1099:and attacks
1041:Greg Halman
1011:Derek Dunne
862:Hans Nijman
826:Pim Fortuyn
343:Fred Teeven
269:riot police
240: [
160:Netherlands
1181:Categories
1029:Peter Smit
1004:since 2000
909:until 2000
874:Martin Kok
672:(in Dutch)
629:(in Dutch)
614:(in Dutch)
449:References
169:1 May 1999
149:1982-08-10
69:newspapers
1053:Els Borst
1017:Ed Vijent
922:Heul Girl
649:cite news
472:Brandpunt
422:scapegoat
252:cold case
201:Convicted
432:See also
296:Istanbul
292:Interpol
191:Arrested
357:Aldwâld
83:scholar
1167:(2020)
1161:(2015)
1155:(2012)
1149:(2011)
1132:(2023)
1126:(2019)
1120:(2011)
1114:(2009)
1108:(1988)
1085:(2024)
1079:(2021)
1073:(2019)
1067:(2019)
1061:(2019)
1055:(2014)
1049:(2012)
1043:(2011)
1037:(2005)
1031:(2005)
1025:(2002)
1019:(2001)
1013:(2000)
996:(1999)
990:(1999)
984:(1998)
978:(1995)
972:(1993)
966:(1990)
960:(1990)
954:(1990)
948:(1989)
942:(1987)
936:(1986)
930:(1983)
924:(1976)
918:(1959)
894:(2021)
888:(2021)
882:(2019)
876:(2016)
870:(2015)
864:(2014)
858:(2011)
852:(2005)
846:(2004)
840:(2004)
834:(2003)
828:(2002)
822:(2000)
816:(1991)
810:(1979)
804:(1979)
670:â NOS
363:Murder
274:egging
226:Kollum
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
627:â NU
376:Trial
288:Iraqi
244:]
90:JSTOR
76:books
655:link
319:The
166:Died
141:Born
62:news
476:KRO
392:NGO
45:by
1183::
724:.
706:.
686:.
651:}}
647:{{
595:.
584:^
574:.
563:^
553:.
538:^
528:.
510:.
492:.
474:.
470:.
456:^
428:.
242:nl
158:,
782:e
775:t
768:v
657:)
478:.
215:(
151:)
147:(
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:¡
80:¡
73:¡
66:¡
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
