Erasmus MC would not allow fatal shooting suspect to graduate without psychological exam
The Erasmus hospital in Rotterdam would not let Faoud L. graduate as a doctor before he underwent a psychological examination. The medical student is suspected of killing three people in Rotterdam on Thursday, including Erasmus MC lecturer and local GP Jurgens Damen.
“He had met all the formal criteria to become a doctor. He had successfully completed all his tests,” Stefan Sleijfer, CEO of Erasmus MC, told NOS. However, the examination committee hesitated to let him graduate due to a letter from the Public Prosecution Service (OM).
In the letter, the OM raised concerns about L., noting that he “has come into contact with the judiciary several times,” including a conviction for animal abuse. The OM said it provided the information to “support you in exercising your role as a provider of basic diplomas and - if necessary - to take the appropriate and necessary measures.”
According to Sleijfer, an email from the authorities also raised concerns about “worrying” and even “psychotic behavior” by L. The university hospital’s examination committee took the OM’s warning seriously and instructed L. that he had to undergo a psychological evaluation before he got his diploma. The evaluation process was still ongoing, Sleijfer told NOS.
SWAT teams arrested L. at Erasmus MC on Thursday afternoon after he had allegedly shot and killed Damen at the hospital and two others on Heiman Dullaertplein. The other two victims are a 39-year-old woman and her 14-year-old daughter, L.’s neighbors. His remand hearing is expected to happen later today.
