The woman came into focus because she matched the description of the suspect and was near the crime scene at the time of the fraud. It has since been shown that the findings were insufficiently verified and a wrong conclusion was drawn too quickly: the woman is in no way involved in the fraud against an elderly lady.
Each year, the Police, with permission from the Public Prosecution Service, publicly release images in hundreds of cases via crime programs and social media, hoping viewers can assist investigations. The reach is very large and viewers are eager to help: this way, hundreds of cases are solved annually.
The wide reach also means the impact on the woman is enormous in this case. Many people saw her as a suspect of a criminal offense. The Police and the Public Prosecution Service deeply regret this mistake and have offered apologies in a personal meeting. The published surveillance footage has been taken offline by the police. There is good contact with the woman and her family, and in consultation with them it was decided to publicly correct the matter. This is done through this message, the broadcast of Plaats Delict (February 12), and Opsporing Verzocht (February 16).
The investigation into the fake officer is currently being reviewed again to determine if further steps can be taken against the correct suspect.
Investigation reporting is conducted under the authority of the Public Prosecution Service. For media inquiries, please refer to the Oost-Nederland Public Prosecutors Office