WILLEMSTAD - This week is the first hearing regarding the theft of Merly Trappenberg's artwork. The painting was stolen on Wednesday afternoon, November 2, 2022, from the exhibition in the Sambil shopping center.
The work was stolen that afternoon by 3 tourists, who then got into a pickup and drove away. The theft was recorded by Sambil's surveillance cameras. Paradise News reported on November 12, 2022 via social media that the pickup, with stickers from rental company Delicious Curaçao, has not been returned after the agreed rental period. The rental car was later found damaged.
On November 14, 2022, Curaçao Chronicle reported that one of the perpetrators, a Dutch tourist, has been arrested at Hato Airport. However, the stolen painting was not in his luggage. He is now in prison at Koraal Specht. According to what Merly Trappenberg understands from the police, he would have stated that the two other thieves (also Europeans) took the painting.
The first court session will be held on Friday, February 6, 2023. Merly hopes that she will then get more clarity about the theft and the location of her artwork.
Merly Trappenberg is a well-known artist and has had an art gallery in Sambil for 7 years. The stolen work is an original painting in mixed media. It is a portrait of an Afro-Caribbean woman with a headscarf, executed in color. The portrait is painted on wood and provided with a wooden frame. The title is 'Girl' and the dimensions of the work are: 82 cm x 63 cm. The work bears the signature of the artist.
The painting was not for sale and is the personal property of the artist. Merly Trappenberg wonders whether she will get her artwork back soon. She continues to hope for a good outcome.
