Alleged killer dentist off to France on mutilation charges

Mark van N., known as the "horror dentist", can be extradited to France, the court in the Hague ruled. Van N. initiated the lawsuit because he felt that he would not receive the same mental health care in France as in the Netherlands. The judge did not agree, and therefore the extradition can continue. In France Van N. is accused of mistreating dozens of patients. He ran a clinic in the village of Chateau-Chinon where he reportedly pulled healthy teeth, broke jaws and left parts of instruments in gums. The dentist was arrested in Canada in September and then brought to the Netherlands. Van N.'s lawyer argued that the extradition to France would be irresponsible because of the dentist's psychological problems. Van N. has a death wish and has attempted suicide. He has also struggled with so called gender problems all his life - he wants to be a woman. The only person who knew this was his partner, who died in 2006. According to Van N., he helped her commit suicide. Van N. also went on a hunger strike because of his pending extradition.