Dutch elderly couple missing in France for days, family fears for their safety
A Dutch couple in their 80s has been missing in France for four days, prompting a desperate search by family members and authorities in both the Netherlands and France. Paul Klapper, 83, and his wife Gerda, 80, from Alphen aan den Rijn were last seen Thursday evening in the Belgian city of Charleroi while en route to their second home in Planchez, a French village they have visited regularly for the past 25 years, Omroep West reports. The couple travelled in the white Peugeot.
“This was supposed to be their last time visiting the house before selling it,” their granddaughter Emily Corbeth told Omroep West. “They’re getting older, and it was no longer realistic for them to travel there often.”
The family believes something went seriously wrong during the couple’s journey. Paul Klapper left behind his medication in the Netherlands and hasn’t checked his blood sugar levels via his phone, which he normally does daily. Gerda’s phone has also been off for several days, despite her habit of frequently calling family members.
Corbeth said the couple behaved unusually before departure. “It seems like they left in a confused state. My grandfather didn’t bring his medication, they didn’t ask the neighbors to watch their house or water the plants, and my grandmother, who usually calls us all day long, hasn’t contacted anyone,” she told Omroep West. “Every trace leads to a dead end.”
Last confirmed sighting in Belgium
The couple was last seen on Thursday around 7:20 p.m. at a roadside restaurant near Charleroi. Staff members confirmed their presence and shared that Gerda had chatted about her recent knee surgery and how long she and Paul had been married. “That’s typical of my grandmother — she talks to everyone,” said Corbeth.
But something about the visit raised concern. “My grandfather forgot to pay for their meal, which is completely unlike him,” she told Omroep West. “And it wasn’t even the kind of restaurant they’d normally stop at. It seemed more like a place for travelers. All of this points to a confused journey.”
Belgian police told the family that the route the couple took through Belgium looked erratic, as if they were lost. Since then, all signs of their whereabouts have reportedly vanished.
Corbeth also noted a troubling financial transaction. “My grandparents are frugal. They always avoid toll roads in France and take the backroads,” she said. “But now there’s a 74 euros charge from a toll gate in Orange — that’s south of Planchez, on the way to Marseille. They would never do that.”
The family is now working to obtain surveillance footage from the toll booths to confirm whether it was Paul and Gerda who passed through. “We just don’t know. Was the car stolen? Were they carjacked? But my grandmother always carries a little book with emergency phone numbers. If something happened, she would’ve borrowed a phone to call,” Corbeth told Omroep West.
The couple’s white Peugeot, which they were using for the trip, has not been found. Emily’s mother, her two sisters, and their husbands are currently searching across France, calling hotels along the route and visiting the vacation home in Planchez. No one has been there.
“There’s no trace. We are desperate,” Corbeth told the newspaper. “If we don’t find them today, I and my three sisters will also travel to France to help with the search. We’re all in survival mode. We have to find them — but it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack.”
“They are officially reported as missing,” a Dutch police spokesperson said. “We are actively investigating and cooperating with French police. If anyone has seen anything or has information, we urge them to contact us. All tips are welcome.”
Corbeth said the family has been fearing the worst since the beginning. “It feels almost impossible that we’ll find them in good condition,” she said. “We’ve felt from the start that something’s not right.”
