Neighbor Lieneke Rietdijk was shocked when she saw an ambulance at her door on Wednesday evening. “I walked from the station. I immediately thought: there is nothing wrong with the children, is there?”
When she got closer, she saw that paramedics were busy resuscitating an elderly man: her neighbor Jan. A silence falls: “They’ve been resuscitating him for so long.”
–
–
Less than five minutes earlier, Jan had been attacked by several young people. He was so badly beaten that he died of his injuries in hospital a day later.
‘Maybe I have encountered perpetrators’
Lieneke is still shaking. At the location of the event, flowers lie and local residents come together. “There is a great need to talk about it. Many people live in this neighborhood who love the neighborhood”, says Lieneke.
One thing keeps haunting her mind: “Maybe during my walk home from the station, I ran into the perpetrators.”
–
–
Police have put 25 detectives on the case. Yesterday five suspects were arrested, of which four underage boys. Today two more boys have reported to the police station. The police keep all scenarios open.
Motive
One of the suspects has since been released. According to his lawyer Machteld Roethof, it “seems that the police acted too quickly where my client is concerned.” The police do not want to say anything about the motive of the abuse.
Gerald Roethof represents a minor suspect who is still detained. He informs RTL Nieuws that despite the young age of his client, the Public Prosecution Service has chosen to place him in complete restrictions so that he may only have contact with his lawyer and parents.
Former pupils
Jan had been living on Spijkerstraat for a few years. “He lived alone in an upstairs apartment after his divorce with his wife. He was nice and polite, I didn’t see him that often,” says downstairs neighbor Pieter Holthuis.
–
–
Until his retirement, Jan was department manager at the Titus Brandsma School in Velp. The school in Velp does not want to respond, former students do want to talk. In memory of their economics teacher, they have set up a Facebook page for him and they are raising money for a large wreath.
‘Very committed’
Former student Shirley (28) says: “It has been more than ten years since I had his lessons, but I can still remember him very well. Our director was also ill at the time, so he was also a kind of rector. He was very fond of students, always asked how you were doing. But he was also strict. A man with a lot of authority. I had to check with him quite often. “
–
–
Shirley continues, “If someone had been wronged, he absolutely wouldn’t let it happen. He didn’t like injustice.” She ran into Jan recently. “I heard yesterday that he was killed in this horrible way. Why this had to happen to him is really a mystery to me.”
Treasure of a man!
Jan was a lovely man, says good friend Michael. “He did what came to mind every day. He could and wanted to help with everything. A very sweet caring father and grandfather.”
Michael lives a few hundred yards away. “I saw a lot of police in our neighborhood on Wednesday evening. I heard from a good friend that it was Jan. Many people know Jan here in Arnhem. It is very shocking. I constantly wonder: what happened? I can’t imagine why. He had no enemies. Horrific to end up like this. ”
–
–
