Abstract - cold cases – a hot issue

This publication comprises a report on a national investigation into cold cases. Cold cases are serious crimes that were not solved in the past in spite of the efforts of the police and the Public Prosecution Service (OM). These crimes seriously shocked the community and some have evolved into high-profile cases.
In this book, the current state of cold case investigation in the Netherlands is outlined. It is discussed to what extent cold cases have the attention of the Dutch police, in which way the police executes renewed investigations into unsolved crimes and what such investigations yield.
With a more in-depth look at ten cold case investigations that were carried out by the various regional police corps, a number of workable elements of cold-case research have been recorded. The findings from the study may also be used – in view of professionalising criminal investigation – in broad application to the area of investigating serious crimes.
The renewed investment in unsolved serious crimes turns out to be rewarding: over a third of the closed cold case investigations have resulted in their solving. New information about the case, but also advanced insights into the areas of criminal investigation and technical-forensic developments have contributed to this. The cold case investigations that did not result in a clearing up of the crimes have often increased the realistic chance of solving them in the future, for example by yielding good documentation, ruling out certain scenarios and the renewed investigation of clues.
The report includes two practical model documents. One of them offers a framework for the professional and structured preparation of cold case investigations; the second provides handles for the evaluation of ongoing or terminated investigations into serious crimes in the form of a review.
The lessons to be learned from this study into cold cases can contribute to the further professionalisation of the process of criminal investigation so that in the future, fewer serious crimes will end up in the files unsolved.

Ilse van Leiden en Henk Ferwerda (2006) Cold cases: een hot issue. Toepassing en opbrengsten van hernieuwd onderzoek naar onopgeloste kapitale delicten. Bureau Beke. Programma Politie en Wetenschap, Politiekunde nr. 13.  »