Prosecutor apologizes for mistakes made surrounding Bart van U.

The Public Prosecutor has apologized to the families of Els Borst and Lois van U. for the mistakes made surrounding Bart van U., who is suspected of murdering both his sister Lois and the former minister. Chief Prosecutor Herman Bolhaar offered his apologies to the families after receiving the report from the Hoekstra committee, NOS reports. The report concludes that the Public Prosecutor acted wrongfully when it failed to take a DNA sample from Van U. when he was convicted in 2012 for illegal weapon possession. The Prosecutor also failed to put him behind bars, despite him being sentenced to 3 years in prison. The Hoekstra committee concluded that this case proves that the various authorities do not cope well with people who are a danger to their surroundings. A new law on compulsory admission is being prepared, but this law will only be implemented in three years at the earliest. The Committee believes that temporary legislative measures should be put in place in the mean time, as the risk of new similar cases is too great. The committee also advocates that the Public Prosecutor plays a bigger role when it comes to dealing with seriously troubled people. Bolhaar said that the Prosecutor is taking the recommendations of the Hoekstra Committee to better cooperate with the police and mental health care. "The findings touch us deeply", Bolhaar said. He admitted that Van U. could have been arrested for Borst's murder much earlier had his DNA sample been taken in 2012. If he had been arrested, his sister's murder may have been avoided.