Dutch nurse committed 14 murders, according to BBC

[imported_Aaron C.]

A Dutch nurse has been accused of 14 murders, prosecutors have said.
Her victims are said to include babies, young children and elderly patients at four hospitals in The Hague.

The killings are alleged to have taken place over a four-year period between February 1997 and September 2001.

The woman, aged 40, is said to have given the patients lethal doses of drugs. Some of the deaths occurred in a children's ward and a prison infirmary.

'Forged certificates'

Nine elderly people were among the alleged victims, the oldest aged 91.

The youngest babies to die were less than a year old, officials said.

The nurse, whose name has not been released, is also charged with four attempted murders and forging school certificates to enable her to qualify for medical training.

The woman is expected to go on trial in The Hague in June.

She was suspended from her last job at a hospital in The Hague in 2001 following the death of a baby. She has since been sacked.

She is expected to stand trial in June.

[nursinghumor]

Found this article online following up on this story:

Dutch nurse sentenced:"A Dutch nurse who was seeking to have her conviction for murdering four of her patients overturned was found guilty Friday of more murders and was sentenced to life in prison.
A judge quashed Lucy de Berk's appeal and sentenced her to life in prison for seven murders and three attempted murders. She must also undergo compulsory psychological treatment."
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2...504749-cp.html


Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[1mg.epi]

It is such a shame that we do find nurses and DR's who have strange ideals of "Helping people". In that persons mind, killing was most likely helping people out of bad life situations. The Nurse just felt justified in her mind. Hope she gets help in prison.

[Mr._Rene]

I am from The Hague, Netherlands. I live in this City. Lucy de B. worked at the Juliana Child Hospital, but she also has been accused of doing her 'devilish' activities in several other hospitals over time. As a practicing Christian I always try to read between the news-lines, and often this sort of murders has 'darker' element in it. And yes, also in this crime it was the case. Occult practices that are portrayed to be 'harmless' nowadays, are actually demon-inspired and driving people, who are in it, to horrendous acts. For instant, Lucy de B. stated she lays the Tarot-card with her patients and she made notes in her diary. She wrote things as: "I have a dark secret", "It is a strange convulsion, I make people very happy with it" and "I will take this secret with me in my grave". She said she knew that laying the Tarot at her work was forbidden, but that she all did it in secret, and that she asked her patients to be silent about it. For more about warnings to the occult, please visit my site at: http://home.filternet.nl/~kjv/traptruth.htm

[nursinghumor]

What makes me really nervous is how easily it would be to euthanize a patient and have it go undetected.

If you read about this case, or Charles Cullen and others, you'll find that it took a very long time for their acts to catch up to them. When they finally were caught, a long "history" of suspicious acts was discovered.

With the tendency of hospitals being to "invite to resign" problem employees, you have to wonder how many other nurses and health professionals like these are still out there acting largely undetected and unsuspected.

Makes you very nervous about being a patient even if the chances of being one of their patients is remote.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[cassioo]

I had someone call the other day to verify employment on someone that had gotten fired the week before. It was for not showing up at work not for killing people. I transfered them to HR but you know all they can say is yes or no they can be rehired.
If someone had a good work record and moved around they could go un-noticed. Even with a bad record the person could tell the new employeer some story about the supervisor/co-worker conflict as reason for leaving and if they hospital really wants someone they'll take them. And around here places like long term care can always use more help then they can ever get.