Woman who staged her own stalking called it “a cry for help”; Accused man was traumatized

Sanne S., the 34-year-old woman from Putten who is suspected of staging her own stalking, told the court in Utrecht on Friday that her actions were a “cry for help.” The claim resulted in a falsely-accused man being sentenced to a one-year jail sentence. The Public Prosecution Service recommended a jail sentence of 18 months against the woman, and apologized to her victim. “We failed,” the prosecutor said.

S. added that she knew this day would come and is struggling with it. The man who was sentenced due to her accusations in 2019 has been watching the case via a video connection.

The woman made several false reports to the police in 2017 and between 2020 and 2021, in which she accused the victim of issuing threats, harassment, insulting behavior, and discrimination.

The Public Prosecution Service claims the woman sent herself two postcards and text messages using the man’s name. She did the same with messages that she sent via social media. “Very vulgar messages,” the court said in describing the messages.

“I think they are terrible, too,” S. answered. “But I cannot remember it.” S. allegedly impersonated the man in May 2021 when she threatened staff at the hospital where she worked at the Tergooi MC via telephone.

She also contacted the TV show, Zeeman Confronteert, in which journalist Thijs Zeeman tries to track down and confront stalkers. An episode was dedicated to the story in 2022, but the episode has since been taken offline.

“A cry for help,” Sanne said of her participation in the program. “I know now, because of therapy, how to ask for help. If I look back now at what I did, going to the program. I think I should never have been allowed to do that.”

S. has a personality disorder and post-traumatic stress syndrome, and should not be held wholly responsible, according to mental health experts. She also has other health issues. That is why her lawyer thinks that a fully suspended sentence “is more appropriate.”

The woman and the victim met each other at a psychiatric clinic where Sanne was an intern at the time, and the man was a volunteer at the facility. The man is currently also in a psychiatric institution.

The man watched the court case via a video connection. His lawyer said that the victim has lost faith in people due to the crime. He has health problems and nightmares, in which he still thinks he is incarnated.

“A web of lies has grown to huge proportions,” the prosecutor said. “Everybody believed the sympathetic nurse and not him, the psychiatric patient.”