A Belgian man serving a life sentence for murder has told police he knows who killed a Dutch student who disappeared during a university introductory week 32 years ago.
Tanja Groen was last seen in August 1993 when she left a party in Maastricht by bike, but the 18-year-old never reached her home in the nearby village of Gronsveld.
Despite extensive police inquiries and the offer of a €1 million reward during a publicity campaign to revive interest in the case in 2021, her body was never found and no suspect has been identified.
De Limburger and Belgian newspaper Het Belang van Limburg both reported on Monday that 55-year-old Johan V., who has been in prison since 2002 for shooting dead a Dutch man at his home in Heerlen, came forward with information last year.
V., from Herk, a village in the Belgian province of Limburg, and his victim, Ron Bening, were both involved in the criminal drug dealing network.
V. has been interviewed three times about the Tanja Groen case, telling detectives he knows the identity of her killer and that the man is still alive. He said Groen was abducted, abused and murdered before being buried in a shallow grave.
Under Belgian law V. could improve his chances of parole if he co-operates with police. Criminals serving life sentences become eligible for release after 15 years and good behaviour is one of the factors taken into consideration.
