Pointer - Pointer 2025 (2025)

The strengthening of the houses in the Groningen earthquake area is difficult. The reinforcement advice of the National Coordinator Groningen, which states whether or not a house should be reinforced, raises questions. Pointer receives dozens of tips from residents who say there are errors in the reinforcement reports they receive about their own home. Sometimes the drawings are incorrectly measured or are incorrect. Also, the advice is often not well-founded and cannot be checked because the calculations are missing. Can residents still trust that they live in a safe house?

Across the Netherlands you can see that the quality of life in neighborhoods with a lot of social rent is deteriorating further. Due to the allocation policy of social rental housing, status holders and people with, for example, psychological problems, addiction problems or debts are all placed together in one neighborhood. This creates an accumulation of problems in these neighborhoods. This increases the nuisance and you see neglect of public space. This is also the case in the Geitenkamp district in Arnhem. In recent years, many shops and facilities have also disappeared here, as a result of which residents are now resisting.

Sanne, Wim Hertgers' daughter, was murdered by her ex-partner. For years, she lived in a marriage where intimate terror was prevalent, a form of domestic violence in which the victim is controlled and manipulated by the partner. Now Wim travels the country with a truck full of photos of other women who have been victims of femicide, to warn women and point out the signs of unhealthy relationships. Ten percent of women are confronted with domestic violence. But they often do not know where to find help. How is that possible? And what needs to be done to improve the help for victims?

In the war in Ukraine, Russia uses a special weapon: Dutch people crossing the border. Ordinary citizens who are done with Europe, cross over to Russia and spread stories from there that the Kremlin likes to see. One of them is the Dutch Sonja van den Ende. She moved from Twente to Moscow and now appears on Russian television with anti-Western stories. Her articles also appear in Dutch alternative media, often with disinformation. Like her, dozens of Westerners are spreading pro-Russian stories in Europe. Why do they do this? And to what extent do their stories already have an effect on politics?

Lotte (46) opted for breast augmentation with silicone implants over twenty years ago. For several years, she has been struggling with fatigue, joint pain, and difficulty concentrating. That's why Lotte is having her implants removed. Would her symptoms disappear then? Many thousands of women have gone before Lotte. Why is a growing number of women having their breast implants removed? The Clara Wichmann Agency will soon be filing a claim for damages on behalf of 60,000 women due to the health risks allegedly posed by breast implants manufactured by Allergan. How safe are breast implants, really?

General practitioner Evelien van Soldt and her husband Rieuwert de Haan from Wapserveen are protesting against the use of pesticides in lily cultivation. They are deeply concerned about the health of local residents. The protests against the pesticides are causing significant tensions in their village. Van Soldt: "Because the municipality lacks a policy, residents are at odds with each other, and the threats are increasing. Many people are therefore afraid to voice their concerns." The use of pesticides is increasing polarization in more and more towns. How are municipalities addressing this?

Imagine: someone follows you around town, secretly filming your face, buttocks, and breasts, and sharing the images worldwide. These are creepshots: surreptitious, sexually explicit photos and videos of unsuspecting women. They are widely distributed and commented on in closed online groups by other creepshot takers. The research program infiltrates these secret networks, discovers Dutch victims, and exposes a global ecosystem. And, together with a specialized law firm, fights to remove victims of this intimidating and criminal abuse from the internet.

A dangerous fungus claims several hundred lives in the Netherlands every year. The Health Council considers this a serious threat to public health and believes the government must intervene.