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Netherlands: Do-it-yourself sleuthing

01 November 1999

A questionnaire, the police response to an arson attack on Bierset airport, has been sent to the airport's 1,000 employees. The list of questions effectively asks them either to admit to the crime themselves or to inform on their workmates.

The questionnaire, starts by asking the workforce "if you were in charge of the investigation into this fire, how would you proceed?" After asking about people's whereabouts on the night of the fire, it says: "did you start the fire? If not do you know who did?" and the next questions are "Should we believe you? If your answer is yes tell us why?" and "What would you say if we found out that you had been lying to us?". The final question put to the employees asks them to name the amount of compensation they are prepared to pay if they are found guilty of starting the fire. The methods being used have been described by the Liege League for Human Rights as "most unusual".

Whilst the questionnaire itself appears to have an element of farce about it the methods used to force it upon the airport employees are disturbing. Anyone who fails to complete the questionnaire has been threatened with arrest and interrogation. This has provoked a storm of protest amongst the workforce. The local trade union has condemned the questionnaire as undemocratic whilst the League for Human Rights pointed out that: "it is too easy just to look for the perpetrators amongst the workforce. On top of this threatening people with interrogation is pressurising potential witnesses."

One of the men in charge of the investigation, investigating magistrate Closon, recently decided that a case in which a man was killed did not have a racial element. This was despite the fact that witnesses described the assailants as having shaven heads, combat boots and screaming "dirty nigger".

Solidair 27.10.99.