Dutch gov't wants more options for forced treatment for "mentally disturbed" people

The caretaker Dutch government wants to be able to have mentally disturbed people who have committed a serious crime admitted and treated in a secure forensic clinic for a maximum of two years.

It involves a small group of people for whom TBS (court-ordered treatment in a psychiatric prison) is disproportionate and regular care is unsuitable, State Secretaries Arno Rutte (Security and Justice), Judith Tielen (Prevention), and Nicki Prouw-Verweij (Long-Term and Social Care) wrote to parliament on Monday.

According to the caretaker government officials, this group of mentally ill people is at risk of falling between the cracks because forensic and regular care are not well-coordinated. At the end of last year, the government announced a package of measures to bridge this gap.

“Sometimes punishment alone is not enough to keep our society safe. For a small group of people who pose a danger to themselves or others, appropriate help can be more effective. With this measure, we give judges additional tools to provide that help,” said State Secretary Rutte.

The Cabinet will present a bill in the first half of next year. According to the State Secretaries, the Public Prosecution Service (OM), the Netherlands Institute for Forensic Psychiatry, the judiciary, and healthcare providers, among others, have strongly advocated for this care measure.

The number of people with mental disorders is increasing, and their symptoms are also becoming increasingly severe, according to research conducted this month by the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ), the Justice and Security Inspectorate (IJV), and the Social Domain Oversight Agency (TSD).