The 83-year-old woman who was allegedly stabbed by her husband in her home in Geldrop in September recently died. This was announced on Wednesday morning at the court in Den Bosch. It also became clear that the woman did not die from the injuries she sustained in the stabbing. It was the first non-substantive hearing with Hans M. as suspect. He is the victim’s husband of the same age, who was arrested immediately after the stabbing was reported.
The man was not present for medical reasons. Just before her death, on November 19, he received a ‘beautiful letter’ from her. His lawyer said this during the short hearing.
According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), there is no ‘causal link’ between the marital dispute in the house on Winnensland and the woman’s death. The suspect will therefore not be prosecuted for her death. “The victim’s injuries were not too bad and she had physically recovered quite a bit after what happened,” the prosecutor said. Nothing was known on Wednesday about the cause and the precise circumstances of the marital dispute. The couple’s son and daughter were among those in the courtroom.
Possibly completely incompetent
The question is whether the 83-year-old man from Geldrop can even be sentenced, the Public Prosecution Service hinted. He allegedly stabbed her with a knife on the night of September 3 to 4. He is also accused of choking her throat.
A psychiatrist and a psychologist have stated in a provisional conclusion that the man will be declared completely incompetent. The justice system has yet to make a decision on this, but it appears that M. will not be blamed for what he allegedly did to his wife due to his physical and mental condition.
After the stabbing, the man first spent time in the hospital for prisoners in Scheveningen. He has been staying in the Penitentiary Psychiatric Center of the PI in Vught for some time now. Detainees with serious psychological problems are housed here.
There has been little contact with him since his arrest. He is vulnerable and ill, the public prosecutor and his lawyer said. There are doubts as to whether he can ‘say anything meaningful’ given his condition. However, the police will soon interrogate him.
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According to his lawyer, her client is ‘very sad’ about the death of his wife. Also, because he didn’t get to say goodbye to her. The letter he received from her did give him ‘some comfort’, the counselor also said. She further reported that the man is recovering from a brain haemorrhage and is suffering ‘physically and mentally’: “He is very sorry and does not understand what happened.”
What was the reaction in the area?
Local residents indicated that they did not understand why things got so out of hand that night in September. Later on the day of the stabbing, they called the couple a loving couple who regularly walked hand in hand along the street.
A number of local residents heard screams from the seniors’ home around three o’clock in the morning. They went outside when they heard someone calling for help and called 112. The emergency services immediately responded en masse.
The trial will continue on February 11. According to the judge and the Public Prosecution Service, many investigations will still be necessary.
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