The police still have many questions about the family which have been living under the radar in Ruinerwold for years. The 67-year-old father, who was arrested on Thursday evening, may be able to shed light on the situation. The police are also able to communicate with the children, which was announced on Thursday evening, during a press session at the police station in Assen.
The police do not want to reveal anything about the father’s medical condition. What is known, however, is that he had a cerebral infarctation a few years ago. He is able to answer questions, however, it is not clear yet whether the he will cooperate with the investigation.
The police do not want to say the precise reason for the arrest of the man, who is suspected of co-perpetrating custody, abuse and money laundering. The 67-year-old man and the six children who were found in the house in Ruinerwold say they are a family. “That is being investigated, but we cannot confirm that yet,” said a police spokeswoman.
The father is also suspected of money laundering. An unknown amount of money was found in the house. “It’s not a couple of tens and that’s why we are investigating where that money comes from,” says the police spokeswoman. Administration and data carriers were found during two house searches in Zwartsluis and Meppel. “But we cannot say how old that data is,” she adds.
The man, who is said to have been in trouble in a pub, is staying in a different location from the rest of the suspected family. It seems that he has been active on social media, but the police also do not want to say whether those messages have been posted by him and whether they are authentic.
“We really need quite some time to complete the puzzle,” says the spokeswoman. Mayor Roger de Groot of the De Wolden municipality hopes that answers will come soon. ”I really don’t have the puzzle yet. I understand that there are many questions in Ruinerwold and the rest of the Netherlands, but we just can’t give the answers yet,” he says.
The NFI is also investigating the house in Ruinerwold on Friday. “It is very difficult to say how long we will be busy with this,” said the police.
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