Sanne de Boer

And this is also the reason why for a long time there were hardly any state witnesses who were former members and turned to speak to the police because there is an actual rule in the Dangata that tells people if they do such a thing, they will be killed by their nearest family members.

Oh, that's right.

By their father or their brother.

Right.

And this happens.

It really is executed that way.

So it's such a suffocating cruelty.

These rules are so extremely cruel and extremely binding in that sense that it's quite understandable for somebody to be born in such a family.

To almost feel that there's no way out.

But of course, we also have to realize that this is that very archaic, very, very...

almost unhuman idea of these families, the way they've originated and the way they've operated for over 160 years now.

But at the same time, we must realize that in our societies, we are maybe exposed or not even consciously exposed to people that are part of these families, but they are very successful entrepreneurs, but still are influenced by these family rules and by these expectations of their families.

Absolutely.

I'm still in touch with him.

Thank God he's doing fine and his family's all right.

But it's been a really tough fight for him.

And he's also felt for many years very unsafe in the protection, how do you call it, program for witnesses.

Because, of course, if the Dangata has so much power, is so well integrated in society, they also have their people in these institutions and they know how to get to you even if you are supposedly protected.

Obviously, a lot of the money was made in those kidnappings in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

There were very cruel kidnappings of these children of rich families, often from the north or of Italy.