Recognition without compensation: Balinese bereaved families fight for what is rightfully theirs
During the Indonesian War of Independence, countless Indonesian men were executed without trial by Dutch soldiers. The Dutch state has since acknowledged that systematic and extreme violence and publicly apologized for it. Yet the surviving relatives of these men - now very elderly - are told that they are not eligible for compensation. Linde [...]
Ten years of MH17: the struggle for recognition and justice
On July 17, 2014, flight MH17 crashed over Ukraine. All 298 occupants were killed. Among them were 196 Dutch nationals. For the bereaved families, a period of loss, uncertainty and years of struggle for truth, recognition and justice began. What happened and the impact on people and society Research by the Dutch Research Council for [...]
A painkiller that hurt: how Vioxx users got even
Around the year 2000, pharmaceutical company Merck launched the drug Vioxx. A painkiller that quickly became popular and just as quickly proved dangerous. The company knew even before Vioxx was produced for patients that using this drug significantly increased the risk of heart and brain attacks. But it did not warn about that. Not [...]
Bubble bath, bacteria and a vanished foundation: the West Frisian Flora's legionella case
Between February 19 and 28, 1999, thousands of people visited the Westfriese Flora in Bovenkarspel, then the largest flower exhibition in the world. What was supposed to be a day out turned into a disaster. Some 318 visitors became infected with the legionella bacteria. At least 32 of them did not survive. What happened Part of the Flora was a consumer fair, which included [...]
Fight for recognition for Q fever victims
Between 2007 and 2010, the Netherlands was hit by the largest Q fever epidemic in the world. Thousands of people became infected by a bacteria spread by goats. The consequences were enormous: an estimated 115 deaths and thousands seriously ill. Many victims are still experiencing the effects of the infection on a daily basis. What happened and the impact on [...]
Mass tort from toxic waste dumping
What happened. In 2006, on behalf of the oil company Trafigura, a large amount of toxic waste was shipped from Amsterdam on the ship Probo Koala. After processing proved impossible in the Netherlands, the waste was taken to Ivory Coast and illegally dumped in open dumps in the city of Abidjan. Thousands of residents were exposed to harmful fumes [...]