When ex-colleague Peter de Beer is killed, detective De Cock is facing the ultimate challenge. Peter’s daughter Michaelle, a witness of the murder, is in shock and cannot help De Cock. But, does the killer also know this? Out of precaution De Cock takes the little crown witness under his wings. To his regrets he concludes that his past pursues him. The trail is leading to a couple of old-India travelers. These old but very tough men already prevented him to solve a murder case years ago. Also this time they try whatever is in their power to keep the murder covered up.

Baantjer, de film: De Cock en de wraak zonder einde

The film is based on the popular Dutch childrens book by Chris van Abkoude. In a Dutch port in 1921 lives a 10-year-old orphan boy known to everyone simply as Little Crumb. His poverty-stricken mother Lize van Dien filled with shame was forced to turn him over to Mrs. Koster soon after he was born. Foster mother Mrs. Koster, who has cared for him since he was a baby, is very poor too, unable to support him by herself and proves to be a cruel taskmaster who insists Crumb bring her money before shell feed him. Somehow he must earn his keep out on the streets and can only go home after he has earned enough money. Crumb becomes an urchin stealing from the streets barrows and the shops to stay alive, sleeping in churches or huddled in doorways. Sometimes he has to run off from the police and he has earned the enmity of the most grownups around him.