Psychologists' "error in judgement" led to patient stealing car, causing fatal accident

A psychologist made an "error in judgement" in visiting Remon W. alone in Doetinchem, resulting in W. threatening the psychologist into handing over his car keys and causing a fatal accident, a spokesperson for the knowledge center for psychiatry and psychology NIFP said to AD. The error in judgement the psychologist made was in visiting W. at his flat in Doetinchem by himself. "The reporter (psychologist, ed) makes the assessment on the need to have the conversation take place in a secure setting, such as a court or the probation office", the spokesperson explained. This psychologist did not feel it necessary. The result was W. threatening the psychologist's keys out of him and driving off with the psychologist's car. A short time later he was involved in a head-on collision in which a 4 year old boy was killed. According to the spokesperson, it is unusual for a forensic psychologist or psychiatrist to take protection with them. "Rapporteurs visit the person to be examined alone as a rule." The police are generally not informed about the visit. This is because most of these visits are done in a correctional institution, with the suspect sill in custody. As far as the NIFP spokesperson knows, this incident with Remon W. is the first of its kind in the Netherlands.