Prisoner commits suicide in Vught penitentiary

A prisoner committed suicide in the penitentiary institution in Vught on May 12th, the man in question's lawyer confirmed. According to the lawyer, the man was suffering from mental problems and did not get the help he needed, Omroep Brabant reports.

The 50-year-old Breda man was in custody on suspicion of public violence and preparing for a sexual offense. He was in custody in the Vught's prison psychiatric center (ppc), where inmates with psychiatric disorders, addictions or mental disabilities are imprisoned.

According to the lawyer, the prisoner was transferred from Arnhem to Vught during his remand due to his psychological condition. He committed suicide after hearing that his remand was extended by three months. "It really did not go well with him", the lawyer said to the broadcaster. "He needed urgent medical assistance. Which he probably got insufficiently in the ppc. It is a bad business that there, in such an important and protected department, it often goes wrong."

According to the broadcaster, 15 detainees committed suicide in Vught between 2011 and present, including a man who died after setting his cell on fire. Former No Surrender member also committed suicide after receiving a life sentence for double murder. The Vught penitentiary has the highest suicide rate in the Netherlands, likely because it has the largest psychiatric department of Dutch prisons.