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	Roermond Public Prosecutions Department Investigates Deaths Boarding School during the Fifties Openbaar Ministerie August 16, 2011 http://www.om.nl/actueel-0/nieuws-persberichten/@156562/roermond-public/ The Roermond Public Prosecutions Department (OM) has started a criminal investigation into the facts after it received information from the Deetman committee. Reason for the investigation into the facts is the significantly higher number of deaths than normal in a former Roman Catholic institution in Heel. It concerns in total 34 boys under 18 who died in the years 1952, 1953 and 1954. The institution concerned was a boarding school with a social workshop for mentally handicapped. The OM investigates the cases mentioned based on documents from the files of the Roermond Diocese and the statistics of deaths of the institution in Heel. From the files it appears that at the end of the fifties questions arose with regard to the high number of deaths in the period of '52 - '54. The investigation was up till now mainly focused on tracing the next of kin of the persons who died and on investigation into the files. The next of kin of the deceased victims - in so far as traceable and still alive - have now been informed about the matter. The further investigation will also be aimed at hearing the people involved. Depending on the results it will be decided at a later stage whether a more extensive investigation is necessary. The possibly suspicious deaths took place more than 55 years ago. If after investigation it appears that criminal offences are concerned, they will have expired by limitation. Therefore no coercive measures can be applied. In view of the extent of the matter and the impact such matters have on society, the OM deems a criminal investigation relevant. The Limburg-Noord police has made a telephone number and e-mail address available for citizens who want to share information about this matter: 06-12487342 and onderzoek-stjoseph-heel@limburg-noord.politie.nl. Background When the OM was informed by the Deetman committee at the end of May, it gave priority to tracing the next of kin of the deceased persons concerned and informing them about the investigation started into this matter. In contacts with the next of kin and people involved the OM takes into account - like in the investigation itself - the circumstance that the facts date back to almost sixty years. The OM finds it important to mention that the present institution for the mentally handicapped in Heel has an exclusively historical connection with the Roman Catholic institution from the fifties where the allegedly suspicious deaths took place.
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