A medical professional has been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the deaths of at least 20 COVID-19 patients, mostly elderly people. The 30-year-old nurse, identified as Theodoor V., worked at the Wilhelmina Hospital in Assen, RTV Drenthe reports.
He worked in the respiratory department where COVID patients were treated. The deaths took place between March 2020 and May 2022.
“My father passed away in this hospital in April 2020. We thought of pneumonia as a result of corona,” one relative told the Algemeen Dagblad. “Now three years later, yesterday, the police suddenly called my 72-year-old mother with this news. We are still reeling from the emotion.”
The relative said police had not given any details of how the accused could have committed the killings, but mentioned he had heard from the officers that they were investigating 24 suspicious deaths.
The criminal investigation began after a report from the hospital.
The hospital’s board of directors issued a statement saying the arrest came as a “shock” to them, adding of a “serious suspicion” against one of their employees.
The OM public prosecution service said they are approaching the alleged crime with “great care.” “Further investigation must reveal exactly what happened,” the prosecutors stated.
Theodoor V. was arrested last Monday. He has worked at the Wilhelmina Hospital since October 2019. Prior to that, he worked for a year at Groningen’s Martini Hospital and before that at the University Medical Center Groningen. He also completed an internship in Germany.
