The former dentistry student who was detained for allegedly stalking and threatening employees of the University of Groningen (UG) and the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG) will remain in custody until she can be assessed at the Pieter Baan Centre.
A request by Marwa M.’s attorney to conduct the evaluation at a forensic psychiatric clinic was denied by the Groningen court on Thursday.
This was revealed during the fourth pre-trial hearing against M. The former student is currently held in the Zwolle Penitentiary, awaiting psychiatric evaluation at the Pieter Baan Centre (PBC). Only after the results of that evaluation are available can the case proceed substantively.
Conflict
M. studied dentistry at the UG but was dismissed from the programme due to her behaviour. She disagreed with the decision, leading to a conflict between her, UMCG, and the UG. She harassed staff members, including the UKrant editorial team, behaving aggressively, intimidating and threatening people.
She repeatedly returned to assert her views, openly posting flyers with names and photos of staff, accusing them of fraud. She posted similar messages on social media.
She was banned from entering UG buildings and contacting specific individuals, but she ignored this and continued her actions. Following complaints by the UG and UMCG, she was arrested in November 2023 and has been detained since then.
Forensic evaluation
It remains unclear how long her pre-trial detention will last. After the pre-trial hearing at the end of August, she was placed on a waiting list for evaluation at the PBC, which can take up to five months.
For this reason, M.’s attorney proposed that she be evaluated at a Forensic Psychiatric Clinic (FPC) instead. This, they argued, might reduce the wait time and expedite the case.
Lack of cooperation
Although the court understood the attorney’s request, it ultimately denied it. During the first three pre-trial hearings, M. did not cooperate with the psychological assessment conducted by the Probation Service, which then recommended a specialised evaluation at the PBC.
The judge still considers this assessment important and lacks confidence that M. would cooperate in an evaluation at an FPC. The next pre-trial hearing is scheduled for January 16.