Jos B.’s conviction remains intact, but with a three-month reduced prison sentence

Aloys Oosterwijk

NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 12:48

Jos B.’s conviction for the death of Nicky Verstappen can be upheld. The Supreme Court has ruled that.

However, B. does receive three months less prison sentence due to the long duration of the criminal case. This brings his sentence to 15 years and 9 months for killing, abusing and kidnapping the 11-year-old boy in 1998.

The Maastricht court sentenced Jos B. to 12.5 years in prison in 2020. B. appealed against this and was given a heavier sentence by the court last year: 16 years in prison. B. then appealed. After the Supreme Court’s ruling, an appeal is no longer possible.

DNA traces

Nicky Verstappen disappeared from a youth camp on Brunssummerheide on August 10, 1998. His body was found a day later. In 2008, the Dutch Forensic Institute succeeded in finding useful DNA traces on Nicky’s pajama pants and underpants.

Another ten years later, in 2018, Jos B. could be linked to that DNA trace. B. was initially missing, but was arrested in Spain after a manhunt.

B. has always claimed that his DNA was on Nicky because he had found the boy, who had already died. Out of fear – B. has a past of sexual misconduct – he said he never dared to report the find.

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