Court cuts prison time for Utrecht woman who poisoned newborn with anti-diarrhea drugs

The Arnhem Court of Appeal has sentenced 39-year-old Sarah V. from Utrecht to eight years in prison for repeatedly attempting to kill her newborn daughter in 2020. The court found that she had mixed expressed breast milk with an anti-diarrheal drug.

V. was originally sentenced to 11 years in prison by the court in March 2024, and the Public Prosecution Service recommended the same term on appeal. The Court of Appeal reduced the sentence, partly on the grounds that V. was considered to have somewhat reduced criminal responsibility.

The court concluded that she intended to poison her child, who became seriously ill as a result. Hospital doctors were initially unable to determine what was wrong with the child, who developed heart rhythm problems. Suspicion arose after tests were conducted on the milk, leading Veilig Thuis to file a report and trigger a criminal investigation.

The 39-year-old, a trained general practitioner, denied any intention to harm her daughter, claiming she administered the substance found in the milk to treat a digestive condition, albeit in large amounts. Sarah V.’s lawyer has maintained that she experienced postpartum psychosis following her daughter’s birth and was in a state of severe confusion.

The court noted that by denying her actions, the woman “has yet to take responsibility.” It described the poisoning of the breast milk as “highly manipulative” and said V. had “misled her husband and other family members.”

The lower court had also charged V. with severe abuse of her son, claiming she had made him seriously ill. She was acquitted of this charge, and the Public Prosecution Service did not contest the decision.

On Thursday, V. did not attend the Court of Appeal’s verdict. V. ’s pretrial detention had long been suspended under strict conditions, which the court decided to maintain, citing her compliance.

She will remain free until the verdict is finalized. If she chooses to challenge the conviction at the Supreme Court, the process could take considerable time, and her lawyer was unable to confirm immediately whether she intends to do so.