# Man who stabbed police dog in Utrecht gets compulsory treatment

> A court has ordered compulsory treatment under a tbs order (terbeschikkingstelling) for a 35-year-old man from De Meern, near Utrecht, who stabbed a police dog and threatened officers.

Society · published 2026-10-26 15:21 · https://nlnow.nl/a/man-who-stabbed-police-dog-at-new-year-gets-compulsory-treatment/

The district court on Monday sentenced Mike K., 35, from De Meern, to tbs with compulsory treatment (tbs met dwangverpleging) and 288 days in prison. He was convicted of arson, threatening police officers and stabbing a police dog during the turn of the year in Utrecht.

The 288 days equal the time he already spent in pre-trial detention, so he does not have to return to a cell.

## Background

- **tbs (terbeschikkingstelling) met dwangverpleging**: Tbs (terbeschikkingstelling, placement at the government's disposal) is a court measure in Dutch criminal law for offenders with a serious mental disorder who are considered a danger to others. Instead of, or alongside, a prison sentence, the person is placed in a forensic psychiatric hospital for treatment, and the order is reviewed periodically and can only be ended by a court. Dwangverpleging (compulsory treatment) is an additional element that the court can order, meaning the person must stay in that setting and follow treatment even without their consent.

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