Public Prosecution Service demands 11 years imprisonment in appeal against mother for attempted murder of daughter

News report | 03-02-2026 | 13:49

In the spring of 2020, the suspects daughter was in the hospital. The doctors could not determine the cause of the babys heart problems. Until it became clear that the expressed breast milk provided by the suspect was inadequate. The breast milk was poisoned with the anti-diarrheal loperamide, a medicine not intended for babies. During the criminal investigation, it also appeared that the breast milk was diluted, containing hardly any nutrients. Due to the lack of nutrients, the child did not grow well and the poison caused heart problems.

The Public Prosecution Service states that the suspect deliberately diluted and mixed the breast milk with medication. She thereby seriously endangered the life of her young daughter. The Public Prosecution Service suspects her of attempted murder and because she had more samples of diluted and poisonous breast milk in stock, she is also suspected of preparation of murder. The Midden-Nederland court sentenced the suspect to eleven years imprisonment. The suspect is appealing this verdict.

The court acquitted the woman of severely abusing her son, who also had health problems when he was young. In the appeal, the Public Prosecution Service saw insufficient additional evidence for the severe abuse of the son and therefore accepted this acquittal. The appeal case therefore concerns what was done to the daughter.

New investigation in appeal

The woman has always denied the accusations of poisoning and diluting the milk. After being confronted with the detection of loperamide in the expressed breast milk, she said she herself takes the medicine, which according to her ended up in the milk. In the appeal, the samples of breast milk that had not yet been given to the daughter were re-examined. In this new investigation, cornstarch was found in the samples. This is an ingredient of the medicine that is normally broken down by the body and not passed on in breast milk. The Public Prosecution Service sees the detection of this ingredient in the samples as additional evidence that the expressed milk was mixed with loperamide. The Public Prosecution Service states that the woman did this deliberately.

At several times, it was investigated whether the woman had a disorder at the time of the facts in 2020. Earlier investigations showed that there was no disorder. Other experts state in appeal that there may have been a disorder but that nothing can be said about the effects of this on the crimes. The Public Prosecution Service therefore states that it cannot be established that a possible disorder influenced what she is suspected of. This means that it is assumed that the woman was accountable when she committed the facts.

During the hearing, the advocates-general (prosecutors in appeal) explained why the Public Prosecution Service considers imprisonment appropriate. “When it was very bad with her daughter, she continued her actions and was not honest. What remains troubling is the fact that there is no grip on the motives of the suspect and possible disorders underlying her behavior. This means that no interventions can be implemented and there remains concern that the suspect could repeat her behavior and thereby endanger her daughter or other children again.”