Case of young man tied to wall sparks national debate in Netherlands

The documentary, which was produced by the Lutheran-run Evangelical Broadcasting Company and aired on public television Tuesday, followed Brandon van Ingen, a patient at a mental hospital in Ermelo. Since 2007, van Ingen has spent part of his days tethered to a wall due to the danger he poses to others, according to State Secretary for Public Health Marlies Veldhuijzen van Zanten-Hyllner.

"Brandon's issue is so serious that he must be restricted in his freedom for the sake of his own safety and that of others," van Zanten-Hyllner wrote in a letter to parliament. "Because of this, Brandon consistently makes use of a band that he fastens himself when he is in the presence of his attendants and other visitors. Whenever there is no one present and at night, the band is loosened."

In response to the documentary, the country's political parties held emergency meetings Wednesday to discuss care for the mentally ill.

Van Zanten-Hyllner addressed those meetings, explaining that van Ingen's care was in line with rules for restraining mental health patients, but promised to examine whether a change is needed.

"The broadcast stirred me deeply," she wrote in the letter to parliament. "It is upsetting to see that such a young person, who has his life before him, has so little perspective for a better future."

Van Zanten-Hyllner noted that van Ingen, who apparently hears voices that tell him to do "bad and dangerous things," has his own apartment where he can move about freely.

The hospital is working on alternatives for van Ingen's care, van Zanten-Hyllner wrote, "and is undertaking constant efforts to improve the living situation."