A Dutch dentist is set to go on trial on Tuesday, over the allegations of mutilating the mouth of over 100 French patients. The said dentist is also known as the "Dentist of Horror" in a remote village in France.
According to the Guardian, Jacobus van Nierop, 51 years old is accused to have caused a dozen patients with broken jaws, septicemia and recurrent abscesses after ripping out their healthy teeth. Nierop faces aggravated assault charges as well as fraudulent charges. He allegedly attempted to rip off patients and insurance companies.
If found guilty to the charges, Nierop will be sentence with up to 10 years in prison and a €150,000 ($165,000) fine, Yahoo News reported. The dentist, who was known for his first name as Mark, started to work in the rural area of Chateau-Chinon after he was hired in 2008. The said area has no available medical treatment service.
In 2012, a patient came to have braces fitted with Nierop, according to ITV."He gave me seven or eight injections, and pulled out eight teeth in one go. I was gushing blood for three days," the patient said. Another patient, named Nicole Martin also took a dental treatment from the said dentist, which caused her to lose her teeth to abscesses after the dentist carried out "horrific operations".
Martin, a retired teacher set up a victims' group in early 2013 to press charges, soon the number of victims grown into 120. Authorities arrested Van Nierop in June, however, he is on bail waiting for trial. He then later on, fled the country on December.
Nierop was eventually tracked down to a small town in New Brunswick, Canada. He was arrested under an international warrant in September 2014. It was also reported by the local media that he tried to take his own life by slitting his throat when police arrested him.
Dutch media said, Van Nierop had already come under investigation at home over his working practices before coming to France. His trial in Nevers is scheduled in last until 18 March.
