For years, something deeply disturbing was happening behind the closed gates of Essenhof cemetery in Dordrecht.
Coffins were secretly opened, and the bodies were experimented on without telling the families or obtaining the proper permits, reports AD.
Why? All to speed up decomposition.
Clandestine tests on deceased bodies
According to an investigation commissioned by the municipality of Dordrecht, the first cellar grave was opened 12 years ago, on suspicion that the bodies inside were not decomposing due to poor ventilation in the burial vaults.
This was done with the knowledge of Bert van de Burgt, an important member of the municipal council at the time.
After opening the coffins twice more, three cellar graves were selected for experimentation. Each of these graves held four bodies.
One group of bodies was treated with a “microbiological” liquid or powder, another group received improved ventilation, and the third was a control group.
All graves were opened four times between 2015 and 2016 to compare results.
The families remained clueless.
A letter in a safe
Following growing concern about why bodies weren’t decomposing, city council member Marco Stam began asking questions. Old records were searched.
The discreet ongoings of Essenhof only came to light last year, when a secret memo from 2015 was found in a safe.
In that memo, the then-director of Essenhof described the experiments in detail and claimed they had been legally checked. Investigators at TwynstraGudde found no proof of that.
The excavations were deliberately carried out while the cemetery was closed “to avoid attention,” and those involved were told to remain silent, the memo reads.
All this while, Van de Burgt saw no reason to report this to the municipal executive board, as it would cause “unnecessary unrest,” he tells AD.
“This should never have happened”
1 jaar gevangenisstraf of € 7400 boete. Per persoon die betrokken is bij deze walgelijke grafschennis. Nog weinig straf, trouwens.
— Heleen B (@HeleenBervoets) December 4, 2025
Het zal je vader of moeder maar zijn. Wat beziélen deze lui??#Essenhof @GemDordrecht
Translation: 1 year prison sentence or €7400 fine. Per person involved in this disgusting grave desecration. Still a light punishment, by the way. Imagine it’s your father or mother. What possesses these people??
A city council press release reads, “Although the intention was to resolve a problem, insufficient consideration was given to the consequences for the people who buried their loved ones here.”
The board has formally apologised to relatives and assured them that no further tests will take place. The municipality is seeking national support, as stalled decomposition is a problem that exists at other cemeteries, too.
What do you think the board of Essenhof should have done? Tell us in the comments.
