Overijssel nursing home worker arrested for trying to kill elderly clients with insulin
The police arrested a 29-year-old woman who worked at a ZorgAccent nursing home in Wierden for administering insulin to at least three elderly residents who did not need it, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) reported on Thursday. The woman is charged with attempted murder.
According to the OM, the woman is currently suspected of deliberately administering insulin to three residents without medical necessity. “This caused the residents’ blood sugar levels to drop to (life-)threatening levels.” The woman was arrested on Monday and will be arraigned on Thursday.
The investigation is ongoing. The victims’ loved ones have been informed. “In the interest of the investigation and to protect the privacy of both the suspect and the victims and their families, no further information will be released,” the OM said.
Local newspaper Tubantia reported that the nursing home involved is ‘t Wedervoort in Wierden. Documents from ZorgAccent showed that some residents died, maybe due to the woman’s actions, according to the newspaper. She had been working there since 2016.
The case came to light after a suspicious incident in March 2025. The nursing home’s management immediately suspended the employee, reported the incident to the Healthcare and Youth Inspectorate, and informed the staff, according to the documents in Tubantia’s possession.
“The police and OM investigation focuses on several incidents in recent years,” ZorgAccent said in the documents. According to the healthcare organizations, the nursing home’s clients are “elderly patients who require intensive care and have multiple health problems. Their life expectancy is usually limited, meaning that some symptoms were not immediately noticeable or were explainable.”
A ZorgAccent spokesperson told Tubantia that the healthcare organization takes the case very seriously. “We are responsible for the people who live with us and for whom we care. We believe it is important that the situation is investigated carefully and thoroughly. This is especially important in the interests of residents, family members, staff, and volunteers.”
The nursing home will hold a special meeting for family and residents on Thursday evening. “Our care and attention are now with them. This is a very sensitive matter, and we are taking all the time and space we can to update them and answer any questions we can,” the spokesperson said.
Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. People with diabetes don’t produce enough insulin naturally and are therefore treated with insulin supplements. For people without diabetes, an extra dose of insulin can be very dangerous, or even fatal.
