The ex-director (55) of the De Brink-Akker healthcare institution in Wijster will appear before the criminal court on Monday. The woman from Erica is suspected of leaving a resident in a helpless state, after which he died.
No healthcare provider was present at the time of the 59-year-old resident’s death. The sheltered accommodation was legally obliged to provide 24-hour care. The client, who was already ill, contacted the healthcare institution’s team telephone several times. But no one responded. A caregiver found the man lifeless in a chair the next morning. He died of natural causes.
The alarmed director allegedly instructed her employees to erase the deceased client’s phone. Six months later, all residents were removed because they were not safe in the institution, which subsequently went bankrupt. The Healthcare and Youth Inspectorate (IGZ) conducted an investigation on behalf of the Public Prosecution Service. According to a Public Prosecution Service spokesperson, this took a long time. That is why there is only now – 6 years later – a criminal hearing.