Last week against 57-year-old B. a prison sentence of 15 years and tbs with compulsory nursing demanded. According to the Public Prosecution Service ‘it cannot be otherwise’ that B. is the culprit.
‘No cause of death determined’
Roethof takes a completely opposite view. According to him, no other verdict can be given in this case than acquittal. There is not much direct evidence in this case, except for DNA from B. on Nicky’s clothes.
No cause of death has ever been established. Experts also disagree whether actual sexual abuse has taken place.
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Moral past
11-year-old Nicky disappeared on August 10, 1998 when he was at a summer camp on the Brunssummerheide in Limburg. A day later, his body was found less than a mile away.
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B. admitted – after a long silence – that he had found Nicky on the heather, but according to B. the boy had already died. De Limburger would not have dared to report this to the police because he has a moral history.
‘Not an easy talker’
During his plea, Roethof addressed the silence of his client, B. does so partly on the advice of his lawyer. “The client is not an easy talker, he has difficulty expressing himself. I have already noticed several times that when he says something, it is immediately taken out of context.”
Roethof also emphatically pointed out that silence is a right. “That should never be used against anyone.”
DNA
This case seemed to remain unsolved for a long time until B. came forward from a DNA test two years ago. His DNA was found on Nicky’s underpants and pajama pants. B. had not cooperated in the large-scale DNA relationship study. But because his family reported him missing and sent items containing his DNA to the police, a 100 percent DNA match was made. After a manhunt, he was arrested in Spain.
On Friday, the Public Prosecution Service and the defense are allowed to react to each other’s points of view and Jos B. will be the last to say something about the case. It is not yet clear when the court will rule.
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