Fugitive convicted of sex crimes captured in Amsterdam

Police in Amsterdam arrested a fugitive on Thursday who escaped custody from a Nijmegen facility three days earlier. He was captured at Buikslotermeerplein in Amsterdam-Noord just after 2 p.m., the Public Prosecution Service (OM) said on social media. The arrest was made without incident, according to AD.

Bert O. was convicted of a sexual offence and has been in psychiatric prisons for more than 15 years. He escaped from the Pompekliniek, his fourth institution, while on supervised leave, the clinic confirmed. He was on supervised leave when he cycled off and evaded his overseer.

The suspect will be returned to the Pompekliniek, a spokesperson told AD. The institution was pleased that he was captured. His attorney previously told ANP he did not believe O. posed an acute threat to society, and he speculated O. escaped because he was frustrated with long waiting lists within the psychiatric prison system.

It was certainly not the first time that a prisoner escaped from the Pompekliniek's custody. This past November, a prisoner escaped while on supervised leave, and then stabbed his 27-year-old ex-girlfriend in Soest. He was believed to have stabbed the woman to prove his love for his current girlfriend. He was arrested some time later in Berschenhoek.

Last June, two other prisoners escaped from the psychiatric prison in Nijmegen. One was arrested soon after his escape while on the A12 highway. The other was captured in Spain several months later.