The tbs of 43-year-old Bert B. from Groningen, who attacked and threatened a police officer with two knives in Emmen in October 2018, must be extended by two years. That is what the court of Assen ruled today.
In July 2019, B. was sentenced by the court to thirty months in prison and TBS with compulsory treatment for attempted murder of the agent. At the time, the ruling was the same as the requirement of the Public Prosecution Service (OM).
De Groninger was suicidal when he attacked and threatened a police officer with two knives in an assisted living facility in Emmen on 10 October. He hoped the officer would shoot him. The police bullets shattered his leg.
He is currently staying at the Van Mesdag clinic in Groningen, where, according to experts, he has made great strides. But according to the experts, intensive treatment for two years remains necessary to prevent a possible relapse in his behavior.
In the past, B. often used heroin, but his craving for hard drugs is said to have been under control since he stays in the clinic. He also cooperates with practitioners and takes the medication that keeps him calm.
According to experts, B. often reacts impulsively, suffers from performance anxiety and has an autistic disorder. “But the great thing is that it is possible to talk and consult with him,” said an expert present at the hearing.
Unaccompanied leave may be possible from the middle of next year for B., who may occasionally leave the TBS clinic from April this year – and only under supervision – for an errand or a walk. Only then will steps be taken towards moving on to ‘outside the walls of the TBS’.
“I would rather have had a one-year TBS extension, but I accept what you decide,” he told the judges today. He promised the judges that he will continue the positive line he is showing.
The chance of recurrence is estimated to be ‘high’ if the TBS for B. were ended too early. “Certainly given his early retirement from hard drugs,” said the judge.
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) had also demanded a TBS extension for two years. The court agreed and immediately ruled in this case.