Mayors demand urgent action on mental health–related violence
The mayors of Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, and Rotterdam have sent an urgent letter to the Tweede Kamer warning about the increasing number of serious incidents involving people with mental health problems, RTL reports. The letter precedes a parliamentary debate on the issue scheduled for next week.
The mayors highlighted the dangerous situations caused by individuals suffering from mental confusion, sometimes resulting in deadly consequences. In February, an 11-year-old girl was fatally stabbed on the street in Nieuwegein by a man with a confused mental state. In Amsterdam in 2023, a 25-year-old man was stabbed by his mentally unstable upstairs neighbor. These are just two examples from many reported cases.
Municipalities and police reportedly continue to struggle with managing the problem. The mayors said the national government must take responsibility and "turn words into action." They point to a shortage of appropriate residential facilities, forcing many people with mental health issues to live in regular neighborhoods where the environment may be unsafe for both residents and the person affected. Despite the risks, funding for suitable housing remains inadequate.
The letter also calls for increased investment in outreach care (known in Dutch as bemoeizorg), which targets individuals who do not actively seek help themselves—a common situation among those with mental health problems. Currently, municipalities fund such care independently, reportedly leading to large disparities in service availability across the country. The four largest cities argue that outreach care must be legally embedded to ensure consistent support nationwide.
Furthermore, the mayors urge a swift introduction of the Law on tackling multiple complex problems (known in Dutch as Wet aanpak meervoudige problematiek, or Wams), designed to improve communication and data sharing between municipalities, healthcare organizations, and police when dealing with complex cases.
