Nurse Theodoor V. from Veenhuizen must appear in court for the first time on Thursday 1 June. This is a pro forma session.
It will be determined whether his pre-trial detention will be extended. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has announced this. V. has been detained since April 17.
Theodoor V. has admitted to killing twenty patients in the Wilhelmina Hospital Assen (WZA). That would have happened between March 2020 and May 2022 in the lung department of the hospital, where corona patients were nursed. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) previously announced that V. had stated to employees of GGZ Drenthe that he prematurely ended the lives of twenty patients. He would have done that without the knowledge of a doctor.
The investigation is difficult for the Public Prosecution Service because V. does not provide any further information about his victims. He would not name names or provide any information that could lead to the victims. This makes the search of the judiciary for the victims even more difficult, since a statement from a suspect alone is not enough to convict someone.
“The arrest has shocked us,” said Hans Mulder of the board of directors of the Asser hospital earlier. The hospital filed a report because of a letter it had received from GGZ Drenthe. In the letter sent to the WZA, the care organization discussed conversations Theodoor V. had with several care providers. In those conversations he told about his alleged actions.
The aid organization took V.’s statement so seriously that after extensive consultation and obtaining legal advice, it was decided to break the confidentiality obligation and to report the case to the WZA.