Nurse arrested for alleged involvement in patient deaths during pandemic

The police arrested a nurse on Monday for suspected involvement in the deaths of multiple patients at the Wilhelmina Hospital in Assen (WZA) during the coronavirus pandemic. The 30-year-old man from Noordenveld is in restricted custody and will be arraigned on Thursday, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) announced.

The OM did not say exactly what the man is accused of or how many victims are involved. The OM only said his arrest follows a police investigation prompted by a report from the hospital.

The Wilhelmina Hospital only said that the allegations involve “a serious suspicion against an individual employee,” not going into detail to avoid hindering the investigation. The hospital received a report about the nurse, and an internal investigation raised enough concern for it to contact the police, the WZA said in a statement.

“I can imagine that this report raises questions and even concerns,” a spokesperson for the OM said. “But at this stage of the investigation, we can’t yet answer all the questions.” The fact that the suspect is in restricted custody - which means he can only have contact with his lawyer - limits the authorities in what they can reveal. Saying too much could also harm the investigation, the OM said.

The authorities have informed the people directly involved or affected.

The hospital suspended the nurse in question immediately after receiving the report about him, board member Hans Mulder of the WZA said. “In this way, the behavior from the report could not be continued,” Mulder said.

“We are concerned for the well-being of our employees and any patients or surviving relatives involved,” Mulder said. “In the coming period, we will focus, together with the police, on collecting facts. The next steps to be taken are determined on the basis of facts.”