An 82-year-old man from Groningen hit his wife’s psychiatrist on the head with a meat mallet in the hope that she could be admitted to a clinic. Justice now suspects him of attempted murder.
This became clear on Tuesday morning during a first preparatory hearing against the elderly man.
It is January 25 when the psychiatrist in question and a colleague have a conversation with the woman at her home. Out of nowhere the man appears with a pointed meat mallet and bashes the rescuer’s head.
‘Act of Desperation’
The 82-year-old’s lawyer speaks of an ‘act of desperation’. The Groninger confessed to the police and said that he had thought about the action in advance. This means that the Public Prosecution Service is prosecuting him for attempted murder, with premeditation. The psychiatrist has recovered, but is still very afraid of the man, the prosecutor says.
It is unclear what exactly the woman was suffering from. It could be deduced from the man’s statements that he hoped that his partner could be admitted to a clinic if he ended up behind bars. Whether he forced his wife to be admitted with his gruesome plan is still a matter of speculation. He himself did not come to court on Tuesday.
The sad thing is that the man has been held in a psychiatric prison in Vught since his action. There he will be examined by a psychiatrist and a psychologist.
‘One of the most serious crimes’
According to his lawyer, the man should be suspended from pre-trial detention until the substantive hearing. “He is a sick man of 82 years old and misses his wife, for whom he did all this, very much,” says Frank Broersma.
The officer does not think that is a good argument. “He may be elderly, but he is suspected of one of the most serious crimes in our law book. It also concerns violence against a psychiatrist, a doctor. Releasing someone now is something I cannot explain to society.”
Ultimately, the court sees no reason to temporarily release the elderly Groningen citizen. The case will be heard again without substance in July, after which the criminal case can hopefully be settled in October.
Tags: Man Groningen hits wifes psychiatrist meat mallet hope admitted Act Desperation
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