Death of Nicky Verstappen
Nicky Verstappen | |
| Date | 10 or 11 August 1998 |
|---|---|
| Location | Landgraaf, Limburg, Netherlands |
| Coordinates | 50°55′07″N 6°00′37″E / 50.918621°N 6.010346°E |
| Type | Homicide |
| Convicted | Joseph Theresia Johannes Brech |
| Trial | 28 September – 16 October 2020 (lower court) 10–24 November 2021 (appeal court) |
| Verdict | 20 November 2020 (lower court) 28 January 2022 (appeal court) |
| Convictions |
|
| Sentence | 12.5 years' imprisonment (lower court)α 16 years' imprisonment (appeal court) |
On the morning of 10 August 1998, 11-year-old Nicky Verstappen disappeared from a summer camp he was attending in Brunssum, Limburg. His body was found on the evening of 11 August, 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) away in Landgraaf, and a murder investigation was subsequently launched. Despite extensive investigation, the case remained unsolved for over twenty years.
Joseph Theresia Johannes "Jos" Brech (born 29 October 1962) stood trial for the killing of Verstappen in 2020. He was arrested on 26 August 2018 in Spain after DNA from his belongings and relatives matched samples taken from Verstappen's clothing, following the largest DNA-harvesting operation in Dutch history. On 20 November 2020, Brech was acquitted of manslaughter, but found guilty of the kidnapping and sexual abuse that led to Verstappen's death, as well as of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to twelve-and-a-half years' imprisonment. On 28 January 2022, an appeal court convicted Brech on a charge of manslaughter and sentenced him to 16 years.