Man arrested after escape from Den Dolder psychiatric clinic

A 44-year-old man was apprehended late Saturday night in Den Dolder after escaping from the Fivoor psychiatric clinic. The man fled while returning from supervised leave, triggering a large-scale search by the police.

Authorities used a police dog to detain the man after he resisted arrest. A police spokesperson stated that the man sustained minor injuries but did not require hospital treatment. He was taken into custody and brought to the police station.

The police did not confirm whether the man posed a direct threat to the public. “However, his past was sufficient reason to organize an extensive search effort,” the spokesperson said.

The Fivoor clinic confirmed the man fled as he was nearing the facility. A clinic representative declined to specify whether the patient had been granted leave on previous occasions. “This incident will be evaluated internally to determine how it occurred,” the spokesperson added.

According to a neighborhood alert posted by the clinic, the man is under a conditional TBS (terbeschikkingstelling) order, a type of Dutch court-mandated psychiatric treatment. He is undergoing treatment for assault linked to dangerous driving. The spokesperson noted the man had been staying at the clinic voluntarily, a status that may now change depending on whether he violated the conditions of his treatment.

The escape follows mounting scrutiny of Fivoor’s facility in Den Dolder, which has faced several high-profile incidents in recent years. Recently, a patient fatally stabbed a 76-year-old woman. The clinic also housed Michael P., who was convicted of raping and murdering Anne Faber in 2017.

Den Dolder’s mayor, Joyce Langenacker, has requested assistance from the Ministry of Justice and Security in relocating the clinic. Although Fivoor has expressed a desire to move, efforts to secure a new location have so far been unsuccessful.