Husband convicted of stabbing wife to death in Leimuiden ordered to psychiatric facility

The District Court of The Hague sentenced 33-year-old Frank H. to mandatory treatment at a psychiatric facility for the fatal stabbing of his 31-year-old wife in Leimuiden, Zuid-Holland.

H. stabbed his wife Jeannerie with a kitchen knife on September 2 last year. The woman fled to the other side of the street while being severely injured. She died of her injuries at the hospital that night. The man had also stabbed himself. Their three young children were not home during the incident.

Prosecutors recommended psychiatric treatment with certain conditions attached. The court thinks that society will not be protected from the suspect enough with this recommendation and therefore ruled that the man must stay in a secure psychiatric clinic.

“The psychiatrist and psychologist concluded that the suspect was psychotic at the time of the crime as a result of a bipolar disorder,” the court said. “His thoughts and feelings were completely taken over by his delusions and hallucinations, and both experts believe the suspect was no longer able to consider, control and manage his actions.”

“In this context, the court pointed to the concerns raised by the expert opinions, which described the risks of recidivism if he does not adhere to his medication, the suspect’s personality, and his limited insight into his illness.”

During the trial, H. said that he heard voices and wanted to harm himself with the knife that he had taken from the kitchen. He could not explain why he stabbed his wife. “I wish I had committed suicide,” he said while crying, “then at least my children would have still had a mother.”