Mayor Margo Mulder, of Bergen op Zoom, thinks it is still too early to draw conclusions about what went wrong when two violent TBS patients managed to escape from the mental health clinic on the Vrederust Estate shortly after each other. “Of course everyone has many questions, but these are questions that we are only now starting to address,” Mulder responds a week and a half after a 75-year-old woman was murdered at the Vrederust Estate. Not much later, a second TBS prisoner was shot.
“Last week my attention was initially focused on relatives and the people in the area. Only now are we getting around to looking at what actually happened,” says the mayor. The residents and also the mental health institution of Halsteren believe that the municipality should have taken a leading role in eliminating the unrest in the area.
According to Arjan van der Weegen, party leader of the largest party GBWP and also a resident of Halsteren, everyone should hear from the media what is going on. “It’s very lively, it’s the talk of the town. So, in my opinion, communication could be a bit more open,” Van der Weegen responded earlier.
Personal conversations
Mayor Mulder thinks differently. “A lot has happened behind the scenes. The police have done a lot of work, I have visited relatives myself and we sent a letter to all local residents after the first incident. In it we have shown understanding for the concerns that exist and also offered that people from the municipality were available if there were any questions.”
According to Mulder, it would not have made much sense if she had tried to curb the unrest among all the residents of Halsteren. “There were still too many unanswered questions for that. I believe much more in personal conversations instead of talking over people’s heads. Unfortunately, it cannot be prevented that people feel unsafe when such serious things happen.”
Local police officer nearby
Mulder wants to talk to the mental health institution, police and local residents to improve the security situation around the mental health institution on the Vrederust Estate in Halsteren. “The Mental Health Service has already taken measures, the local police officer is in the area every day and can be contacted. The municipal enforcers can also be found there. But for the longer term, safety there must be improved,” says Margo Mulder.
After the recent violence, the institution has temporarily closed its doors to the TBS patients staying there. “We have temporarily taken extra measures to ensure the safety of clients, staff and local residents. TBS patients are therefore not allowed to go on leave at the moment,” says Els Govers, board member of GGZ Westelijk Noord-Brabant. It is not known how long this emergency measure will remain in force.
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