On November 9, 1985, the life of nine-year-old David Van de Steen changed forever. During the attack on the Delhaize in Aalst, his father, mother, and sister were murdered before his eyes. David himself was shot eight times, narrowly survived, and subsequently underwent dozens of surgeries. Forty years later, the perpetrators have still not been convicted, and his most important questions remain unanswered.

In this episode, David recounts what he saw himself that evening and why he is convinced that this was much more than an ordinary robbery. He discusses the extreme violence, the possible coup de grâce, his recognition of Patrick Haemers, and his suspicion that his family may have been deliberately targeted.

We also delve deeper into the investigation that his grandfather started and that David later continued himself. This covers possible drug and arms trafficking, individuals within the former Gendarmerie, State Security, missing documents, and investigations that, according to him, were deliberately obstructed.

Furthermore, David makes a particularly striking statement: according to him, the Nijvel Gang never existed as a single, fixed gang. He suspects that various criminals were deployed as rotating perpetrators, while the actual masterminds and protectors remained out of the picture.

A moving and open conversation about Aalst 1985, a life marked by violence, forty years of searching for answers, and a case file that, according to David, is “broken to the very bottom.”

The identifications, connections, and theories discussed have not been judicially proven. In the episode, a clear distinction is made between David’s personal memories, information he received later, and his own conclusions regarding the case file.

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