Dutch court delays verdict in nurse's mass murder trial

A Dutch court today delayed its verdict in the case of a nurse accused of murdering 13 of her patients, ordering her to undergo psychiatric observation.

The judges also said they want more information from some of the witnesses in the trial, the most serious case of alleged serial killing in Dutch criminal history.

Lucy de Berk, 41, is accused of 18 counts of murder and attempted murder in hospitals in The Hague over a four-and-a-half year period ending in September 2001.

“The court is reopening the investigation,” said presiding judge Jeanne Kalk. “The information we had is incomplete,” she said, adding the case would be reviewed within three months.

Most of the alleged victims – who included a 91-year old judge at the UN war crimes tribunal – were either very old or very young and chronically ill. All died suddenly in her care.

De Berk said she was innocent and had “never taken someone’s life.” Until now, she has refused to cooperate with prosecution requests for psychiatric tests.