The police have arrested a person after a group of men removed stuffed animals from the memorial site of the deceased Jeffrey (10) and Emma (8) in Winschoten. A video is circulating on social media of men picking out and taking away stuffed animals.
In addition to the suspect arrested, the police have also identified other individuals seen in the video. It is not known how many people are involved, a police spokesperson tells NU.nl.
The police have also recovered the stolen stuffed animals. The investigation into the video is still ongoing.
The images circulating on social media show a group of men laughing at the memorial site on the Renselweg in Winschoten. The car with Jeffrey, Emma, and their father inside was found in a canal there. The memorial site is covered in a sea of stuffed animals and flowers.
Jeffrey and Emma had been missing since Saturday, May 17. Their father, 67-year-old Klaas B., had picked up the children that afternoon in Beerta, Groningen. The police issued an amber alert a day later because there were serious concerns about the children’s safety.
A large search operation followed. On Tuesday evening, the police found B.’s car in the water in Winschoten, with several bodies inside. On Wednesday, Jeffrey and Emma’s family confirmed that the bodies were those of Jeffrey, Emma, and B. Police investigation revealed that the father had driven into the water fifteen minutes after picking up the children.