Holleeder Astrid - Judas: how a sisters testimony brought down a criminal mastermind

(1996)

ON MARCH 27, 1996, MY SISTER SONJA HOLLEEDER AND HER HUSBAND, Cor van Hout, picked up their son Richie from kindergarten. Cor parked his car in front of their home on Deurloostraat, and they stayed in the car, laughing with Richie, who was singing along with his favorite song, Funicul Funicul by Andrea Bocelli, in the back seat, leaning forward between his parents.

My mother just happened to be standing at their kitchen window when a man wearing a dark coat walked toward Cors parked car. At the same time, Sonja looked at Cor and noticed someone approaching in the background. At rst she thought he was going to ask for directions, but the determined look on his face made her uneasy. He approached the car on Cors side.

Through the window, Sonja looked straight into his face, and its still etched into her memory. A yellow-brown face, with lots of wrinkles.

Cor, what does he want? she shouted. Cor looked to the left.

Before he could answer, the man pointed a gun at Cor and started shooting. At that moment, Cor dove aside to cover.

Sonja started screaming. Richie was in the back seat of the car; had he been hit? Had Cor been hit? She opened her car door and tumbled out. To prevent herself from getting shot, she crawled on her knees to the back door, opened it, and pulled Richie out. With him in her arms, she ran inside. The door was already open as my mother had rushed out to help her.

Cor had been hit several times. He staggered out to chase the shooter, but, unhinged by his injuries, he started walking in the wrong direction. After he had made it a couple hundred yards, the neighbors helped him back to the house.

Numb and bleeding profusely, Cor just sat there in the stairwell of Number 22 until the ambulance arrived.

I was in my office on Willem Pijperstraat when I got a call on my cell phone. My mom was yelling into the phone.

Are they alive? I shouted.

Yes, theyre alive, but Cor was hit. Come over now, please!

Is it bad, Mom?

I dont know. They took Cor away in an ambulance.

In a panic, I closed my office and drove to Deurloostraat, where Sonja was waiting for me. She opened the door and fell into my arms, crying, Cor was hit everywhere!

Where? I asked. Where was he hit? Will he survive?

Yeah, they took him to VU Hospital. He was hit in his arm, shoulder, and back, and one bullet shattered his jaw. But hell live; hes in surgery right now.

What about Rich? Is Richie okay? I asked.

Yes, she said, hes upstairs. He wasnt hit. Thank God he doesnt really understand what happened. Please act as normal as you can.

Of course. She was badly shaken and hyperventilating.

We went upstairs, where Richie and my mother were. He was playing on the oor. Luckily the child hadnt seen Cors bloody injuries. Sonja had pulled him from the car quickly enough and taken him inside right away.

Hi, honey, I said to him. Are you having fun playing?

He looked up and, seeing me, exclaimed, Assie, Assie, ames! Flames!

I pulled him onto my lap and asked him, What about the ames? Go on and tell Auntie.

He was just two and a half years old, and he told me in his own way what had happened. A really naughty man had thrown rocks at the car and there were ames. That was his version, and we wanted to keep it that way.

Such a naughty man! But hes gone now, sweetie. Daddy chased him away.

Sonja asked, Could you pick Francis up from school? She doesnt know yet and I want to have her with me. Im not sure what other crazy stuff might go down.

Ill go over right now.

I drove to Franciss school and told the janitor I was her aunt and she had to come with me to the hospital.

From her classroom, Francis had already seen me standing in the hall and was startled. The janitor went in and whispered to the teacher, and Francis came out.

Come on, honey, I said. As we walked down the hallway I told her what had happened, trying to remain calm.

She stood still and grabbed hold of me, her face turning pale. Is Daddy dead, As? she asked, her voice trembling.

No, but hes been hurt pretty badly. Hes in the hospital. Mommy and Rich are ne. Come on, lets go home.

It wasnt long before Sonja got a call from the hospital. Cor was out of surgery.

Are you coming with me to see him? she asked me. We can leave the children with Mom. I dont want to drive. I still feel pretty shaky.

Ill drive, I said. I want to see him.

We walked to the car, but halfway there, Sonja started trembling. I got into my car but she kept standing there.

Get in, I said.

I cant.

I got out and walked over to her. Whats the matter?

Im scared. I keep seeing it, that man walking up to us, the sound of the glass breaking, the shooting. Cor covered in blood. I cant get in, she said.

Come on, Son, youll have to. You better drive yourself now, right away. Otherwise you wont do it ever again. Come on, nowyou can do this!

I opened the door and ordered her to get in. Youre right, she said. I have no choice.

At the hospital, we walked straight to Cors ward. Police stood guarding the door to his room. Cor was just waking up from surgery; the bullets had been removed from his body, and his lower jaw had been wired shut.

Are you okay? I asked.

Cor smiled faintly and stuck his thumb in the air. Speaking was prohibited this soon after jaw surgery, but he couldnt have said anything anyway, not with the cops right outside the door.

He gestured about Richie.

Rich is ne, Sonja said. Its a miracle he wasnt hit. You just get out of here.

Rage amed up in Cors eyes, and he made a gun gesture; he wanted revenge.

We wanted to know if Cor had any idea where this had come from, so we would know where we stood and what measures to take, if necessary. Sonja and I stood on either side of his bed, staring at him, waiting for an answer.