Els Borst murder suspect never got mental health treatment
The Public Prosecutor in Rotterdam has found that a number of issues in Bart van U.'s file raise questions. No DNA material was taken from Van U. after a previous conviction in 2012. Van U. also never received treatment for delusions and fears of an Islamic terrorist attack.
Van U. was arrested on January 12th for the murder of his sister in a house on Oudedijk in Rotterdam. On Monday it was announced that the man is now also a suspect in the investigation in to the death of former Health Minister Els Borst. The lawsuit from 2012 revolves around a conviction for firearm possession. When he was arrested in Rotterdam in 2011, police found, among other things, a Walther pistol and a Smith & Wesson revolver in his possession. During questioning at the time, the suspect said that he was afraid of a Islamic attack on Rotterdam, which could happen at any time according to the suspect. That is why he was armed. According to the Public Prosecutor, the suspect resisted against psychiatric treatment in both the Rotterdam court and on appeal in The Hague. Due to a misunderstanding, the cause of which is as of yet unknown, no DNA material was taken from Van U. three years ago. If that DNA material had been available, Bart van U. could have been questioned as a suspect in the Els Borst murder earlier. As it is, Van U. only came into the picture after he had killed his sister Lois. It is now also evident that, despite serious concerns about Van U.'s condition, he never received treatment. Neither in a criminal law context or in a civil context. The Public Prosecutor finds that a thorough and widespread investigation is necessary into what happened around Van U. in recent years.
