The Indian community in Eindhoven and the surrounding area feels unsafe. For weeks, households of Indian descent have been the target of a series of burglaries. The community strongly suspects that this is no coincidence.
Private collection
Suman is originally from India but came to the Netherlands to build a life here. They were very happy in their new home, until disaster struck. “When I got home, I completely lost heart,” says Suman. Instead of their nice house, they suddenly found themselves in the middle of a crime scene.
The lock on the door had clearly been forced and their entire belongings had been turned upside down. Shocked by the event, Suman decided to post her story on social media. What do you know? Many other Indian expats recognised Suman’s story. Fellow sufferer Mirnalini makes contact and together they discover that they are far from alone.
It soon becomes apparent that within two weeks, eight attempts had been made to break into the homes of Indian expats. Four break-ins were successful, while the other four were just attempts. “In two weeks, burglars went to eight homes, all of which belong to Indian expats. We feel unsafe and unheard,” says Suman.
Unwanted guests
Mirnalini went with a friend to visit another friend on November 9 – all three of them had moved from India to Brabant. During this visit, the host told them that a few days earlier, on November 1, they had also received unwanted guests. There had been a break-in. The evening continued without any misgivings and eventually the three friends said goodbye.
On returning home, Mirnalini was flabbergasted. Her door had also been forced open and all the drawers had been yanked open. The contents were scattered throughout their house, though only a few valuables were missing. To make the evening even more bizarre, the house of the friend who came with her also appeared to be in disarray. It had also been broken into.
Case
Both women dutifully filed a report after the burglary. Initially, the police reassured them: “They arrived quickly, and the forensic investigation took place immediately,” says Suman. A case would be opened. Together with the other expats, they handed over a large file with images. The burglar is recognisable in the image, and they even have the license plate of his car.
Suman thought that would solve the case, but in the days that followed, that confidence dwindled. Contact with the police became increasingly difficult and answers to their questions were always lacking. “We feel unheard. We are not concerned about the stolen goods, but about the emotional damage it causes. Someone has grossly violated our privacy, and we feel like nothing is happening,” Suman says emotionally.
Feeling
Mirnalini is also worried: “Since the burglary, I’ve had trouble sleeping. Your home should be the safest place on earth, but that feeling is completely gone now. When it starts to get dark outside, I feel more and more anxious. It’s so bad that my body starts to shake in the evening.”
The Indian community have had it up to here. They feel they are not supported enough by the police. That is why they marched through the city centre of Eindhoven on Saturday. Armed with banners, the victims are trying to draw attention to the wave of burglaries.
Goal
Rumours are going around that Indian expats are the target of the burglaries because they usually keep a lot of gold in their homes. According to Suman, that is complete nonsense. “It is really not true that every house of an Indian family is bulging with gold. Everyone has some jewellery lying around,” she says.
“In the homes of expats from other countries, and even Dutch friends, there are just as many valuables. If we were targeted because we are so ‘rich’, why aren’t my Dutch colleagues robbed?”
Police cannot confirm whether there has been a wave of burglaries at Indian homes, as they do not register victims by ethnicity.
Source: www.studio040.nl
Translated by Yawar Abbas
