Rodney (46) from Amsterdam has been missing for five years, but no one missed him: local police officer only found out by chance
Amsterdam — Five years. That's how long it's been quiet around Rodney Doevendans, then 46, from Amsterdam. No news, no sign of life and almost no one missing him. Only questions. Where did he go? Was he murdered, is he imprisoned abroad, or did he die in a tragic turn of events? The police are still in the dark. The investigation is being hampered by several factors: the death of potential witnesses and the Police Data Act (Wpg), which stipulates that certain police data must be deleted after five years.
Nevertheless, Bob Schagen of the Amsterdam Police Missing Persons Team does not rule out foul play. ‘All in all, there are more indications of a crime.’ Doevendans' disappearance only came to light at the beginning of this year, when police officers had to track him down because of an outstanding prison sentence. But no matter how hard they searched, there was no trace of the man.
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What makes the investigation particularly bitter is that in five years, no one reported his disappearance. ‘He was married, but his wife had no contact with him because of domestic violence. His mother, brothers, and sister also wanted nothing to do with him,’ says Schagen.
‘Only an aunt and cousin raised the alarm, but they received little support.’ It was only this year, after pressure from the investigation team, that his mother reported him missing. Family members are now curious to find out what happened to Doevendans.
The last tangible trace of Doevendans dates back to September 2020. At the time, he spent a lot of time on a small boat moored at Jan de Jonghkade, near Plein 40-45 in Amsterdam-West.
‘By order of the municipality, all boats there have been moved or removed, including presumably that of the missing person,’ says Schagen. ‘We don't know exactly where and when. And where the boat is now is a big mystery.’
A small breakthrough came last week: the police found his white Canta, the disabled vehicle Doevendans drove, half wrecked in a back garden.
‘But the current owner has had a stroke and can no longer speak. We don't know how the Canta ended up there. Because these types of vehicles are not registered, we cannot verify whether it has been sold.’
Debit card transaction only digital trace
A debit card transaction in January 2021 is the only digital trace. Shortly after his benefit payment was deposited, the entire amount was withdrawn from an ATM in Aalsmeer. Was it Rodney himself who was there, or someone else who knew that the money would be deposited that day?
After that withdrawal, no further payments were made: the benefit was stopped shortly afterwards. The images of the card user have since disappeared. ‘Throughout this investigation, we have come up against the data retention period. Data is usually no longer stored after five years,’ explains Schagen.
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Amsterdammer Rodney (46) is al vijf jaar spoorloos, maar niemand miste hem: wijkagent kwam er nu pas bij toeval achter
