Annemiek van Spanje is a criminal defence and victims’ rights lawyer, Director of the Peter R. de Vries Foundation and podcast host. She speaks about criminal law, cold cases, victims’ rights, truth-finding and the influence of the media on high-profile criminal cases. In her daily practice, she represents victims and bereaved families in complex cases, including the trial concerning the murder of Peter R. de Vries. At the same time, through the Foundation, she examines why murder and missing person cases can remain unsolved for years and what role new investigative methods can play. On stage, Annemiek makes legal issues accessible without losing sight of the human impact.
Annemiek van Spanje as a speaker on criminal law and victims’ rights
As a speaker, Annemiek takes her audience behind the scenes of criminal cases where evidence, emotions, media attention and legal protection intersect. She shows what victims’ rights mean in practice and why legal truth and a sense of justice do not always align.
Her talks are well suited to conferences and events focused on law, security, media, ethics and social responsibility. Annemiek speaks clearly and incisively, draws on examples from her own practice and makes complex legal issues understandable without oversimplifying them.
From cold case to new leads
Since 2025, Annemiek has been Director of the Peter R. de Vries Foundation. The organisation brings renewed attention to unsolved murder and missing person cases and connects experts, investigations and families. The Foundation aims to actively re-examine stalled cases where new possibilities may still exist.
In her keynote, Annemiek explores questions that are relevant far beyond the courtroom. How does tunnel vision arise? What happens when a case remains unsolved for years? What role can DNA, new investigative techniques and AI play? And how do you support families who have been living without answers for years?
Law, media and public opinion
High-profile criminal cases no longer unfold solely inside the courtroom. News media, social platforms and public opinion all influence how cases are followed and discussed. In the podcast Rechtpraten, Annemiek and Royce de Vries discuss current criminal cases, media trials and legal dilemmas each week. In Cold Cases: Tegen het Licht, she investigates unsolved murder and missing person cases.
Topics Annemiek speaks about include:
• criminal law and victims’ rights
• cold cases and truth-finding
• crime and the media
• evidence, investigations and tunnel vision
• DNA, AI and new investigative methods
• legal protection and public opinion
From death penalty cases to Columbia Law School
Annemiek began her career at an anti-death penalty law firm in the United States, where she worked on the police investigation surrounding a client on death row. She later graduated cum laude with an LL.M. in International Criminal Law from Columbia Law School and the University of Amsterdam. Today, her legal practice focuses primarily on criminal law and victims’ rights.