Lucia de B. (2014) Movie Script
Lucia! Look this way!
Lucia!
Judith?
- Yes.
I'm Antoinette. I'm glad you're here.
Assistant prosecutor...
Feels good, doesn't it?
She's waiting for you.
It's a formality. She'll probably
give you a stern look, is all.
The first day's hard, isn't it?
It'll be over tomorrow.
Profiling and chain argumentation
With distinction.
Antoinette will show you the ropes and
you'll archive the Lindeman case this week.
Good. Fine.
I hoped to join a current investigation.
It's been very hectic here
and this file has to be organized.
There's sure to be a nice case
for you to prove yourself.
Hush, llttle baby
Don't say a word
Are you still here?
I gave Sanne in room 4 a new drip
and Ahmed in 7 has gone back to sleep.
It's sure to be a quiet night.
Shall I go?
- No need. You go on home.
No, just let me check.
Did you have any dinner?
No, I'll eat later, Grandma.
But you work so hard.
- I don't...
And anyway, I enjoy it.
You know that.
Lucia, I don't understand the papers.
- Oh, let me take a look.
They didn't give him more morphine?
- They said it wasn't necessary.
He's awake half the night.
I'll see what I can do, okay?
Lucia...
Will you take one more look?
Grandma, I no longer do that.
I don't even know where they are.
The Hanged Man
Take it easy, sweetheart. Take it easy.
It's no fun, is it?
But you'll feel better in a bit, you will.
Should I take him?
No, I'll keep him on my lap.
I hope he sleeps better in a minute.
Okay.
Oh, Joosje, would you check
when he was last fed?
You think he's hungry?
- No. But just check it. Okay?
That's good, isn't it?
Page Doctor Kobes again!
Petra! Now! Now!
I already tried her twice.
They always do that...
when you're at a concert.
Unplug him...
and fit a new drip.
Okay...
Okay...
It's okay.
Pen?
Yes.
Stable
One, two, three, four. I'm losing him.
One, two, three, four...
One, two...
One, two...
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...
Hold tight.
This keeps happening to me.
Yes... It's awful.
But it's as if...
it's as if I attract it, or...
That's impossible. Impossible, isn't it?
You know what?
Take some time off.
Get away for a few days.
But can I just do that?
- Of course, I insist.
It's so nice of you to come yourself.
It's the least I can do.
I'll inform HR.
You recharge your batteries at home.
We'll work out what happened.
Take care.
You're late.
Your grandma called.
She wants you to drop by.
Yes...
Yes, and who reported it?
I don't get it. First it was natural causes
and later it wasn't?
Can you make copies?
What? You want to be a prosecutor, right?
- Antoinette. Detective Bos...
A report from Westland hospital.
- I'm on that arms case. I can't...
Then you can come.
Yes, we're at Westland hospital.
She always arrives early and stays late.
She's a little...
- Am I right?
Carry on.
- You mentioned the night shift.
It's just... sometimes
I have a strange feeling about her.
Yes.
- And she acts weird.
Very concerned but also very, very cold.
She never sits with us.
Always on her own. As if she's too good...
And she keeps giving us orders.
As if she's a doctor.
Right. It's true.
And she was on the game.
- What?
Really?
- She told me once on night shift.
Does she still do that?
She always wears short skirts.
And that little bell.
Okay, we'll make an appointment
with each of you this week.
It's important that we know
about things like this.
Detective Bos.
- Mrs Johansson.
My assistant Judith Jansen.
This is detective Bos.
Mrs Jansen.
Here comes Dr Kobes.
- Hi, Barbara. How terrible this...
The baby had a heart op 6 weeks ago.
Then he was moved
from Intensive to Medium Care.
He seemed fine
but suddenly needed resuscitating.
Breathe through your mouth.
I sent offblood samples to establish
the cause of death.
It's not natural causes?
I don't get the blood digoxin.
- Digoxin?
It's a heart drug
that can be fatal for babies.
It wasn't natural causes?
No. But how? The child is flawless.
No needle marks or anything.
To be honest,
we had no idea who we employed.
No idea at all.
That's why I got in touch with Tesla
Hospital. Where she worked before.
They had the same stories as here.
She was independent, arrogant, private.
I got numbers from the previous hospital.
In geriatrics, she had 17 resuscitations
and deaths. If you add that to ours...
then it can't be coincidence,
statistically speaking.
The chance of this happening
to one specific nurse is 1 in 700 million!
It says "stable".
Noted by Dr Kobes
with De Berk beside her.
The child died soon after.
Were there witnesses?
Of other cases?
Autopsies?
Two babies were cremated and the rest
were Muslim. You can't excavate them.
Was that coincidence?
Barbara, can you provide
clear summaries, please?
You mean ofbaby Timo?
- No. All of them, please.
All of them? But Jaap...
I don't know.
I don't know if there is a case.
- Nor do I.
Jaap, do me a favour and
keep it under wraps, okay?
Is he handsome?
Mum...
Is he good-look?
- Muml
Does Dad know yet?
- No, you're the flrst.
Go to school. Let's talk tomorrow.
Love you.
- I love you, girl.
Lucia?
Lucia?
Hi, darling.
Are you okay?
I don't get it.
I just don't get it.
It must be a misunderstanding, dear.
So why did they suspend me?
The lawyer said so too.
They ain't allowed to without good reason.
Just call him and ask one more time.
Go and have a nice shower
and I'll make some coffee.
Look at me.
Cutie.
I won't be long.
Okay.
Westland hospltal has ordered
an Investlgatlon...
after a baby dled unexpectedly.
It had blrth defects and was unllkely
to llve, stlll death was unexpected.
The hospltal Investlgatlon showed...
Pete? Pete!
In all death cases always the same
one speclflc nurse was worklng.
Further Investlgatlon Is needed.
In vlew of the severlty,
we reported the nurse to the pollce.
Jesus!
Our thoughts are wlth parents and staff.
- Incredible.
I asked him to keep it under wraps.
You were there.
Awhole media circus
and we don't have a case.
The digoxin and statistics?
That ridiculous 1 in 700 million.
- It's 1 in 342 million.
An expert checked the hospital statistics.
It can't be coincidence: Her being
involved in so many incidents.
Combined with the fatal dose of poison.
- We still have nothing.
I don't want to lose another case.
In America it is normal too...
- We're not in America.
How can you prove she administered it?
No syringe...
no witness, no puncture marks.
Suppose if she's guilty? We can't
afford to build a case on nothing.
We just have a hysterical press conference
because Jaap couldn't keep quiet.
Examining magistrate Krol, please?
Johansson here. I need a search warrant.
Better make sure you find something.
Good morning, I'm Edward Krol,
magistrate.
You live here with Lucia de Berk?
Lucia isn't home.
Sorry...
You can't just barge in?
Lucia isn't even here.
Is she out?
Yes, looking after her sick grandpa.
She has planty of time now.
You can't just turn things upside down?
We can, sir. Come with me...
The Death Robe
Murder Rltual
'Inside the Serial Killer'...
Interesting. She never took them back.
No one may know my secret.
It'll dle wlth me.
Henk...
A diary.
No one may everflnd out.
"No one must know about the compulsion
I have to hide from everyone."
Dammit...
- Stop. We have to do our work.
Just go in the living room.
- That's private.
Wait in the living room
and we'll sort it out later.
Why would she do it?
Babies and old people...
Hundreds of reasons.
Hundreds?
Do this long enough and you'll find out
that it takes little to be bad...
And to be good?
It's pretty hard to be good.
They took everything. Everything.
I couldn't stop them.
What are they up to, Pete?
Grandpa...
You remember when
we came back from Canada?
No...
I was so sick...
You cared for me for weeks, remember?
In... in the front room.
Yes, in the front room.
We had a great view down that long street.
I lay there looking at the clouds.
You said that heaven
was at the end of the street.
You only had to take tram 11 to get there.
Dld you sleep?
- A llttle.
He Is restless.
Tosslng and turnlng all nlght.
Poor man.
- It's terrlble to see hlm suffer.
Wlll you look In my handbook, Pete?
Look up the slde-effects of Haloperldol?
Haloperidol?
Get some fresh alr.
- Go and look.
I'm not golng out.
Everyone thlnks I'm some klnd of wltch.
You found it?
It's fatal in high doses.
You want the slde-effects?
She sent his carers home. He's old, ill,
defenceless. We may be too late!
Hello, madam.
We're looking for Lucia de Berk.
Mrs de Berk, we'd like an interview.
An interview? Well... fine.
But I want to finish this first.
- I think not.
Astrid fancies you, doesn't she?
Astrid? No way.
- Yes, really. I saw it twice and it's true.
Hello. They left you in the dark?
That's no good.
Have you had any coffee?
- No.
Here we are. Sugar, milk...
Hey, cookies.
You brought those for me, Henk?
Well...
Cookie?
- Please.
Well, Lucia... Can I call you Lucia?
Yes, sure.
- I can.
That was quite something right,
with Timo?
And the other one... Mohammed?
- Wait a sec.
Let her drink her coffee.
Then we'll talk about how she helped Timo.
No, I didn't help Timo.
But he was a patient of yours.
I'm a bit confused now.
You help these children. I understand.
You don't want them to suffer.
Right. You don't want that.
When's my lawyer coming?
In a minute. On his way.
You spent a lot of time with the children?
More than your colleagues.
- Yes... it kept happening with me.
It hit me really hard.
I'm an emotional person.
- Emotional?
Really, Lucia?
No offence, but it says you
abandoned your daughter.
Doesn't sound very emotional.
I didn't abandon her.
You had a new lover so she moved in
with her father, didn't she?
Where's my lawyer?
Have you been in trouble with the police?
Prostitution, for example?
It says so here.
You told a colleague
you were arrested as a child prostitute.
Wasn't that tough on your mother?
A daughter doing that work and...
I want my lawyer.
- Why not? You still look good.
I can't imagine you doing it,
but it says...
you placed your own death notice
in the paper to shock your mother?
Something terrible must have happened
to make you do that.
What kind of person was she?
Hello! Don't sit there daydreaming.
We're having such a nice time.
Why have you started?
I clearly told you to wait.
Yes, but we haven't started.
We just had coffee and a chat.
No one can save you now.
The "Angel of Death", suspected serlal
klller Lucla de B., has been arrested.
The ex-prostltute Is suspected of 7 murders
and 5 attempted murders of patlents.
Isn't that that Lucia de Berk?
10 February 2002
Two months after her arrest
In the diary you mention a compulsion.
Is that an urge to kill?
Lucia! You get the question?
- I invoke my right to silence.
I didn't ask that.
- But it's my answer.
You have anything to hide?
You hid your compulsion or compulsions?
I invoke my right to silence.
- Why did you kill the children?
I invoke my right to silence.
- Because your lawyer told you to.
It's what I want too.
- Why?
Because it's my right.
This isn't going to get us a case.
We have to win this one.
Can you contact that toxicologist
we used before? Bernard Vos, I think.
To replace Dr Kobes, because she is sick.
It must be hard?
We have a poisoning and a diary,
that's not enough.
It's not like writing a thesis, is it?
I understand. One moment.
Lucia's grandpa has died.
Bos? I want to tell her myself
and see how she reacts.
Keep your distance.
I'll be behind right outside.
Pay close attention!
Sorry.
I have to take this. You go, I'll follow.
Johansson speaking? Yes...
That's right.
I'm Judith Jansen.
Maybe you could sit up straight?
I have bad news for you.
Your grandfather has died.
No emotion whatsoever.
I'm not surprised.
They've been back twice.
They only left the dirty laundry.
They even visited grandma.
She's so upset!
- And the newspapers. They're crazy.
They say you have compulsions.
I told you to stop laying those tarot cards.
Now they think... never mind.
- The things they say, Mum.
Don't listen, dear.
- It's not true.
Of course not.
- They'll find out they made a mistake.
They have to.
Fabinne...
Look at me.
They have to.
- Let go. No touching.
Hey...
Your new boyfriend...
How's it going?
Are you with him a lot?
We want a house.
With a garden. For his dogs.
- Dogs? He's got more than one?
They're huge.
But they're really nice, Mum. Really.
If you could see them...
Darling, I'm there.
I'm always there.
Even when I'm not with you, I'm still there.
- That's enough, Lucia. Hands apart.
We'll have to do a full cavity search now.
You know that.
Okay, that's it. Time's up.
Come on...
See you soon.
- Bye, dear.
You're early.
- Have you seen Johansson?
I think she had an appointment
in the cafeteria.
A piece is missing.
The heart monitor was off for 30 minutes.
There's a gap on the graph.
One hour before Timo died,
it was unplugged.
That's the time Lucia needed to inject
the poison. No needle marks because...
she put it in the new drip!
Even if we prove this,
we can't prove the other murders.
Why not? It all fits.
Her crime novels, bad childhood,
vindictive towards her mother...
A Ioner, manipulative, compulsions.
All characteristics of a psychopath.
In the US, they sentence a thousand
criminals a year based on profiling.
If one murder is proven,
the others are plausible.
We can use this as...
- A link in a chain.
For some time the suspect was alone
with the victim and in that time...
Mrs de Berk had an opportunity
to inject the poison through the drip.
Your honour, my client said that
Dr Kobes stood beside her all the time.
Thank you for the addition, Mr Bakker.
- The prosecution has replaced a witness?
Indeed, Dr Barbara Kobes is ill.
She'll be replaced by an expert,
toxicologist Dr Vos.
Dr Vos, you endorse
the digoxin poisoning ofbaby Timo?
The clinical picture is right. Diarrhoea,
abrupt cessation ofbreathing...
I haven't seen the post-mortem,
but the heart was contracted?
You can be sure of that.
My client wants to emphasize that
Dr Kobes was present and supervised her.
In addition, the child was very weak.
When Timo died it was natural causes.
That was in the report.
Why was it changed to poisoning?
Timo was stable and later
we concluded that the substances...
He wasn't stable. He had watery stool
and lack of oxygen. He was very sick.
Mrs de Berk, please.
Dr Kobes' report says the child was stable.
He was healthy enough to go home.
- No. He's dead, isn't he?
Mr Bakker, if your client continues
to interrupt, I'll have her removed.
The prosecution says Mrs de Berk is not
only responsible for baby Timo's death...
she's also responsible for the death of
several patients in hospitals in The Hague.
Statistics, compulsion and criminal profile
carry such weight...
we can link the other murders directly
to the digoxin murder.
If the court and defense approve,
I will finish for now...
by reading the names
of the victims and their age.
They are: The baby Timo Visser, 2 months.
The infant Abdel Hani, 2 years old.
Baby Mohammed Baltoun, six months.
Baby Amal Wassim, three months.
Mrs de Wit, 91 years old,
Mrs Koog Smulders, 83 years old,
Mrs den Uil-Groenesteeg, 76 years old.
Mrs van Zutphen, 92...
and Mr Wong, 82.
Oh yes, it went very well...
It's my period.
- Undress and bend over.
Verdlct Angel of Death.
Bend over.
In the case against Lucia de Berk...
after lengthy deliberation, the court...
finds her guilty of seven murders
and attempted murders.
The court sentences you,
Lucia de Berk, to life in prison.
Paul, Paul...
this is my ministering angel Judith Jansen.
My husband Paul.
I heard a lot about you. Well done.
Ernestine!
Congratulations.
- Thank you.
What a relief.
It is indeed!
- Well done.
Hello Paul! You okay?
Great to see you.
You must be proud.
She started talking gibberish.
She was acutely admitted last week.
Again? I was afraid of that.
Dr Kobes stayed home last year too.
I don't know much more.
Are you aware Dr Kobes
was acutely admitted?
Acutely? Acutely? It's not that bad.
She's just had a burnout.
It can happen to the best of us.
I told Joyce: We'll ask you
to Tuscany when it's all over.
Come away for a weekend.
- You still have that huge pizza oven?
D&B psychlatrlc hospltal.
This is Judith Jansen, prosecution.
I'd like to speak to someone about
a patient who was admitted recently:
Barbara Kobes.
Why am I looking at this?
- Barbara Kobes is clinically depressed.
She has been very ill for very long.
- Dr Vos was a fine replacement.
But Dr Kobes made the summaries
we used to accuse Lucia de Berk.
That was ages ago.
- Maybe she made mistakes.
We may have the wrong facts.
Dr Kobes...
We have a clear case.
We have to prepare for the appeal.
And Dr Vos can help us just fine.
I mean maybe we should do
more research.
So we're prepared and
can't be trumped by the defense.
They'll know that Dr Kobes is in hospital
and use that.
You were here
when we spoke to the police?
When that baby died.
You're Karima, right?
Can I help you?
Lucia was a fine nurse.
She was crazy about children.
She always got the difficult cases.
She put Timo on the heart monitor herself
because she was worried.
He needed oxygen, had diarrhoea
and a severe heart condition.
He was very ill.
- But he was stable?
His bad condition was.
The baby didn't have a chance.
I thought that all the files...
would show Lucia was innocent.
- Baby Mohammed? Were you working then?
Mohammed...
he was hysterical.
He kept screaming and shouting.
Lucia was completely exhausted.
She was allowed to leave early.
What time?
- About 10 o'clock...
The report said the baby died
just before the night shift. It suffocated.
Lucia had long gone home.
The hospital merger was imminent.
If we'd say anything about it, then...
Then what?
Everyone was afraid of dismissal.
Judith!
It's good to see you.
Now I can thank you personally
for all that you did.
How goes the merger?
No problems?
No, it's all good.
You came to prepare me for the hearing?
- Oh, don't worry about that.
We want the original files of
all the suspicious deaths for the appeal.
Oh, that. I think you received everything.
They were only summaries.
We want the originals.
Oh, okay.
They won't question me on that, will they?
- No, we just want to double check.
Now that Dr Kobes is in hospital.
Yes... well...
Fine. I'll make sure you get them
as soon as possible, because...
the defense already took away copies.
This is Quirijn Herzberg.
Your new lawyer.
He'll help us with the appeal.
- Theo told me about you.
At least we've got you out of observation.
Quirijn took care of that.
It's shared cells these days,
but that means you can socialize again.
We are down 10-0...
We'll have to score 11 goals to win.
We've been given time
to examine all the case files.
Tell me anything you think might help.
Only then can I defend you.
You understand?
You should feel comfortable sharing
everything with me.
Everything.
Why do you want my case?
Why?
- Yes. What's the point?
It won't make you rich.
You don't even know me.
I do know you.
I read the paper and watch TV.
You are famous.
If people so badly want to believe something
is wrong, it's usually more complicated.
When Theo asked me to look at your
case, I too was amazed.
The argumentation is flawed.
It's all based on assumptions, gossip
and faulty prosecution evidence.
The judges swallowed it all,
influenced by a strange mass hysteria.
It's clear to me that this is a witch-hunt.
Well...
What do we do now?
You brought the whole library with you?
- Yes, I've got life. That's why.
I'm Jenny.
Lucia.
The witch?
- No, Lucia de Berk.
So what are you doing?
Helping my lawyer...
prove that I'm innocent.
Cigarette?
Please.
You didn't do it then?
No.
They all say you did.
- They say lots of things.
Did you do it?
- Sure. But he asked for it.
If the liver is enlarged, that means
the heart is dystonic, contracted.
19 April 2004
Appeal Hearing
Mrs Chairman, Mrs Johansson,
Mr van Hoensbroeck.
You have the floor.
Mr Espen, who was responsible for the
statistics, is a professor of criminology.
He's not a statistics expert.
No, but he is someone...
- He based them on hospital numbers?
That is true.
Mr van Hoensbroeck, you studied
medicine, then worked in pharmaceuticals.
You also took an MBA?
That's correct.
You were responsible for
the numbers on deaths and staff?
That's correct.
And they were the numbers for 2001?
- Correct.
Can you tell me how many deaths
there were in your hospital in 2000?
In 2000?
I shall have to look that up.
You never did that?
- For 2000? No.
And for the year before that?
- No, no...
I don't know that either.
Do know how many nurses worked
in your hospital in 2000 and before?
It would be hard to answer
that question.
Hundreds?
Anyway, that varies...
Do you at least know when
the night and day shifts start?
Well, the times... No.
That's not my field.
Yet you provided numbers that led to
statistics which incriminated my client.
The defense wants to show
these numbers are based solely on 2001.
They don't show how many people worked
in the hospital, when, or how long.
Mr van Hoensbroeck...
Can you assure me these numbers
do not apply to any other year?
No, I can't.
Chairman, the statistics
were no longer relevant...
and were removed from the charge.
The charge itself remains unchanged.
But... that isn't right!
Hello.
- Hello.
Judith Jansen. We met before...
when you examined that baby: Timo.
I'm from the prosecution
and came with Johansson.
Yes, of course.
I wondered if you remember
if the heart was contracted?
I put that in the file. It went to Dr Kobes.
I assume you have it.
Wait.
Let me see...
Yes, here.
The heart was at rest.
At rest?
So not contracted?
No. Rest.
That doesn't fit with digoxin poisoning.
- No, hence the new test.
Who requested that?
- Your office did.
Mrs Johansson.
They were just done in Strasbourg.
Is there any mail from Strasbourg?
Strasbourg?
- Johansson ordered a new test.
Are you still fussing about that?
Did something come from Strasbourg?
- Ask her yourself.
If you carry on like this,
she'll chuck you out.
Ladies...
I'm going out for lunch today.
Will you lock my door, Antoinette?
Mrs Johansson...
Mrs Johansson!
The heart was at rest.
- What?
Baby Timo's. I was in the hospital and
the pathologist confirmed it was at rest.
You found that out this morning?
- There was no digoxin poisoning.
Did you want to be a defense counsel?
We are accusing her
of murdering babies and old people.
With Mohammed she wasn't even there.
- You do know who you work for?
Have the results from Strasbourg arrived?
- This is a serial killer.
We have to protect society and especially
the weak and needy against her sort.
The other murders are a chain linked
to the digoxin. If the test is negative...
We are done with the digoxin.
- But you ordered the test yourself.
Look at the whole picture.
The lies, compulsion, prostitution.
The grudge against her mother.
All her colleagues testified against her.
Lucia de Berk is a psychopath.
How blind can you be?
It's not right.
We made a mistake.
I think you should go on leave.
Right now.
4 June 2004
Appeal
Haven't seen you around.
No...
I heard you had a burnout.
Burnout?
I feel like I'm only balanced one here...
Turn around.
Lucia!
We have a good case.
They can't brush this aside. Don't forget!
Not a single witness observed...
that any action or lack thereofby
Lucia de Berk led to a patient's death...
or made resuscitation necessary.
No one saw...
Nor is there any evidence of Lucia
de Berk giving a patient an overdose...
or doing anything else
that could be a cause of death.
There are no fingerprints
on a strip of pills or bottle of medicine...
linking her to the unauthorized
administering of medication.
Any proof...
of a direct link between the
alleged crimes and Lucia de Berk...
is absent.
Lucia nursed extremely ill patients
with a very low life expectancy.
These people were in hospital.
And however hard that is to accept,
sometimes people die there.
Against the image of a chain-link locomotive,
we place that of a house of cards.
We regard the prosecution's case
as such a construction.
If one moves away from suggestion,
that house collapses.
If only the facts count, Lucia de Berk
will be cleared...
of all charges.
18 June 2004
The Verdict on Appeal
You may sit down.
You killed defenseless innocent victims,
deliberately and in a very refined way...
without leaving a single trace.
Your actions have damaged
society's trust in our hospitals.
You're sentenced for 7 murders...
- I don't have to hear this.
To life in prison...
- I didn't do it.
And to involuntary commitment.
- I didn't do it.
No. I didn't do it.
I didn't do it!
I didn't do it.
Pete, I didn't do it!
I didn't do it!
Life with involuntary commitment...
It's legally impossible.
Everyone's gone crazy.
I...
I don't understand it.
They ignored all the facts and
threw out all exculpatory evidence.
We'll contest the appeal
and find something to reopen the case.
Then we'll go to the Supreme Court...
I didn't do it.
I know that.
Do you?
- Yes.
They all say it, don't they?
All those judges,
all those bigwigs, everyone...
I wouldn't believe me either.
- Lucia... No.
We're going to show the judges
are simply parroting each other.
We'll contest this.
There only has to be one error
in the verdict. You're innocent.
Don't forget that.
Quirijn Herzberg speaking?
Hello?
Who is this?
I may be able to get new information.
Come in.
An independent digoxin test
was done in Strasbourg.
The prosecution probably
has the results.
If they show that Timo died naturally and
wasn't killed, the whole case collapses.
And if they show otherwise?
You really think they will?
- No.
Why do you think the results weren't used?
I don't know if Lucia can handle
another disappointment.
I did so much to get her in jail.
If you can get hold of that test somehow...
I'll submit it to the Supreme Court.
Antoinette?
It's Judith! I'm in the cafeteria
and thought: We never said goodbye.
Shall we have a coffee?
You can find 15 minutes, can't you?
Strasbourg Laboratorlum
Where were you?
- I thought I'd meet you on the way.
I don't think you're allowed
up here anymore...
You have this room all to yourself now?
That's nice!
Can I see your bag?
My bag?
Why are you here?
I came to thank you...
It was great working together.
What are you doing here?
I would like to talk to you.
Has somebody else died?
I know you're innocent.
Now you tell me!
That's a little late, isn't it?
Or did you forget
how long I've been here?
Only four or five years.
That's a long time.
I've had plenty of time to think...
about why I am in here...
and why I'll probably never get out.
I don't think that you,
with your pretty face...
and your well-paid job...
can imagine what it's like to have
appearances against you.
Whatever you do or say, it's never right.
If you wear a short skirt, you're a whore.
But smart clothing is suspicious.
Sit up straight and you're too cocky,
slouch and you're hiding something.
If you're quiet, they put you in solitary.
But if you're loud, they do too.
Never mind what you do...
you lose, every time.
Without Pete and Fabinne
I wouldn't be here anymore.
They know I'm innocent.
But that's not going to save me.
I have a very good lawyer, a darling.
But we won't pull it off.
- Mrs de Berk...
Oh, get lost!
I don't know why you're here,
but I can't take much more.
If you came to salve your conscience...
I have a French lab report.
It says that baby Timo died of a heart
condition, oedema and an infection.
Natural causes.
It wasn't murder.
I'm so sorry.
I was wrong.
Coffee!
Oh, that's good.
Thank you.
Tomorrow... That's when you hear?
Yes, tomorrow.
I try not to think about it.
- Why not? You'll be out in no time.
You know what's so strange?
If I can leave tomorrow, then...
I think I'll really miss you. All of you.
- No way.
And all those crying babies.
Lucia, will you take her?
Of course, dear.
Come on, girl.
- What's the matter? Come, darling...
Hey, girl... Take it easy...
Easy...
I know how to silence a baby.
14 March 2006
Supreme Court Ruling
What do you think?
Whatever happens, we'll call the paper.
- Yes...
They didn't allow it.
The test results arrived in Holland
four days after the verdict.
Therefore, no errors were made.
They only saw it after the verdict.
That's ridiculous. Digoxin condemned her.
But for an annulment they don't examine
that. They only look for legal errors.
There was no legal error.
We'll go to the paper.
So they can throw the kitchen sink
at Lucia again? Another media circus?
She won't survive that!
So much can happen.
I...
I have nothing left.
- You have to persevere.
For your daughter.
Your husband.
Promise me.
Lucia.
Sir, please.
Lucia, promise me.
Lucia, please.
She's dead. I'm sure ofit.
- Don't say that!
Peter, please. She isn't dead.
They moved her. They must have.
But where to?
No one will tell us.
I'm going to the prosecutor's office
tomorrow. They know where she is.
Improper behavior, passing evidence
to unauthorized parties...
Where is she?
Lucia de Berk? Where is she?
I had high hopes for you,
very high hopes...
Have you been to Tuscany yet with
Jaap van Hoensbroeck? To celebrate?
You're fired.
Oh, girl...
Posslble mlscarrlage of justlce
In Lucla de B. Case
Lucia's lawyer had the case reopened.
He called the paper and they've run with it.
She'll get a special commission.
It might take a while but...
well done, girl.
There's no 'lack of evidence',
there simply were no murders.
I'll start with the conclusion and
the verdict, Mrs de Berk, to avoid...
keeping you and all those present
in suspense any longer.
There is no clear and convincing proof
that you committed any crime.
All patients died of natural causes
and you are blameless.
Apart from not returning library books,
but we won't pursue that.
Mrs de Berk, you are cleared
of all charges brought against you.
At last!
- Congratulations!
Is it true?
- Yes, Mum. It's true.
I have some influence but not that much.
I'd do the exact same thing tomorrow.
Lucia!
Look here!
There they are again.
- Yes.
Congratulations on the verdict!
- Can I ask you a question?
Do this restore your faith
In our legal system?
I'll be seeing you.
Lucia de Berk was wrongly imprisoned
for 6 years, 3 months and 19 days.
No staff of the hospital or the prosecution
received any reprimand.
The Council for the Judiciary chairman,
the A.G. Of the Public Prosecution Service...
and the Minister of Justice
all personally apologized to Lucia.
Metta de Noo and Ton Derksen were
the actual whistle-blowers.
After being exonerated, Lucia married
Peter and now has a granddaughter.
Lucia and her lawyer regularly give
lectures to law students.
Lucia!
Judith?
- Yes.
I'm Antoinette. I'm glad you're here.
Assistant prosecutor...
Feels good, doesn't it?
She's waiting for you.
It's a formality. She'll probably
give you a stern look, is all.
The first day's hard, isn't it?
It'll be over tomorrow.
Profiling and chain argumentation
With distinction.
Antoinette will show you the ropes and
you'll archive the Lindeman case this week.
Good. Fine.
I hoped to join a current investigation.
It's been very hectic here
and this file has to be organized.
There's sure to be a nice case
for you to prove yourself.
Hush, llttle baby
Don't say a word
Are you still here?
I gave Sanne in room 4 a new drip
and Ahmed in 7 has gone back to sleep.
It's sure to be a quiet night.
Shall I go?
- No need. You go on home.
No, just let me check.
Did you have any dinner?
No, I'll eat later, Grandma.
But you work so hard.
- I don't...
And anyway, I enjoy it.
You know that.
Lucia, I don't understand the papers.
- Oh, let me take a look.
They didn't give him more morphine?
- They said it wasn't necessary.
He's awake half the night.
I'll see what I can do, okay?
Lucia...
Will you take one more look?
Grandma, I no longer do that.
I don't even know where they are.
The Hanged Man
Take it easy, sweetheart. Take it easy.
It's no fun, is it?
But you'll feel better in a bit, you will.
Should I take him?
No, I'll keep him on my lap.
I hope he sleeps better in a minute.
Okay.
Oh, Joosje, would you check
when he was last fed?
You think he's hungry?
- No. But just check it. Okay?
That's good, isn't it?
Page Doctor Kobes again!
Petra! Now! Now!
I already tried her twice.
They always do that...
when you're at a concert.
Unplug him...
and fit a new drip.
Okay...
Okay...
It's okay.
Pen?
Yes.
Stable
One, two, three, four. I'm losing him.
One, two, three, four...
One, two...
One, two...
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...
Hold tight.
This keeps happening to me.
Yes... It's awful.
But it's as if...
it's as if I attract it, or...
That's impossible. Impossible, isn't it?
You know what?
Take some time off.
Get away for a few days.
But can I just do that?
- Of course, I insist.
It's so nice of you to come yourself.
It's the least I can do.
I'll inform HR.
You recharge your batteries at home.
We'll work out what happened.
Take care.
You're late.
Your grandma called.
She wants you to drop by.
Yes...
Yes, and who reported it?
I don't get it. First it was natural causes
and later it wasn't?
Can you make copies?
What? You want to be a prosecutor, right?
- Antoinette. Detective Bos...
A report from Westland hospital.
- I'm on that arms case. I can't...
Then you can come.
Yes, we're at Westland hospital.
She always arrives early and stays late.
She's a little...
- Am I right?
Carry on.
- You mentioned the night shift.
It's just... sometimes
I have a strange feeling about her.
Yes.
- And she acts weird.
Very concerned but also very, very cold.
She never sits with us.
Always on her own. As if she's too good...
And she keeps giving us orders.
As if she's a doctor.
Right. It's true.
And she was on the game.
- What?
Really?
- She told me once on night shift.
Does she still do that?
She always wears short skirts.
And that little bell.
Okay, we'll make an appointment
with each of you this week.
It's important that we know
about things like this.
Detective Bos.
- Mrs Johansson.
My assistant Judith Jansen.
This is detective Bos.
Mrs Jansen.
Here comes Dr Kobes.
- Hi, Barbara. How terrible this...
The baby had a heart op 6 weeks ago.
Then he was moved
from Intensive to Medium Care.
He seemed fine
but suddenly needed resuscitating.
Breathe through your mouth.
I sent offblood samples to establish
the cause of death.
It's not natural causes?
I don't get the blood digoxin.
- Digoxin?
It's a heart drug
that can be fatal for babies.
It wasn't natural causes?
No. But how? The child is flawless.
No needle marks or anything.
To be honest,
we had no idea who we employed.
No idea at all.
That's why I got in touch with Tesla
Hospital. Where she worked before.
They had the same stories as here.
She was independent, arrogant, private.
I got numbers from the previous hospital.
In geriatrics, she had 17 resuscitations
and deaths. If you add that to ours...
then it can't be coincidence,
statistically speaking.
The chance of this happening
to one specific nurse is 1 in 700 million!
It says "stable".
Noted by Dr Kobes
with De Berk beside her.
The child died soon after.
Were there witnesses?
Of other cases?
Autopsies?
Two babies were cremated and the rest
were Muslim. You can't excavate them.
Was that coincidence?
Barbara, can you provide
clear summaries, please?
You mean ofbaby Timo?
- No. All of them, please.
All of them? But Jaap...
I don't know.
I don't know if there is a case.
- Nor do I.
Jaap, do me a favour and
keep it under wraps, okay?
Is he handsome?
Mum...
Is he good-look?
- Muml
Does Dad know yet?
- No, you're the flrst.
Go to school. Let's talk tomorrow.
Love you.
- I love you, girl.
Lucia?
Lucia?
Hi, darling.
Are you okay?
I don't get it.
I just don't get it.
It must be a misunderstanding, dear.
So why did they suspend me?
The lawyer said so too.
They ain't allowed to without good reason.
Just call him and ask one more time.
Go and have a nice shower
and I'll make some coffee.
Look at me.
Cutie.
I won't be long.
Okay.
Westland hospltal has ordered
an Investlgatlon...
after a baby dled unexpectedly.
It had blrth defects and was unllkely
to llve, stlll death was unexpected.
The hospltal Investlgatlon showed...
Pete? Pete!
In all death cases always the same
one speclflc nurse was worklng.
Further Investlgatlon Is needed.
In vlew of the severlty,
we reported the nurse to the pollce.
Jesus!
Our thoughts are wlth parents and staff.
- Incredible.
I asked him to keep it under wraps.
You were there.
Awhole media circus
and we don't have a case.
The digoxin and statistics?
That ridiculous 1 in 700 million.
- It's 1 in 342 million.
An expert checked the hospital statistics.
It can't be coincidence: Her being
involved in so many incidents.
Combined with the fatal dose of poison.
- We still have nothing.
I don't want to lose another case.
In America it is normal too...
- We're not in America.
How can you prove she administered it?
No syringe...
no witness, no puncture marks.
Suppose if she's guilty? We can't
afford to build a case on nothing.
We just have a hysterical press conference
because Jaap couldn't keep quiet.
Examining magistrate Krol, please?
Johansson here. I need a search warrant.
Better make sure you find something.
Good morning, I'm Edward Krol,
magistrate.
You live here with Lucia de Berk?
Lucia isn't home.
Sorry...
You can't just barge in?
Lucia isn't even here.
Is she out?
Yes, looking after her sick grandpa.
She has planty of time now.
You can't just turn things upside down?
We can, sir. Come with me...
The Death Robe
Murder Rltual
'Inside the Serial Killer'...
Interesting. She never took them back.
No one may know my secret.
It'll dle wlth me.
Henk...
A diary.
No one may everflnd out.
"No one must know about the compulsion
I have to hide from everyone."
Dammit...
- Stop. We have to do our work.
Just go in the living room.
- That's private.
Wait in the living room
and we'll sort it out later.
Why would she do it?
Babies and old people...
Hundreds of reasons.
Hundreds?
Do this long enough and you'll find out
that it takes little to be bad...
And to be good?
It's pretty hard to be good.
They took everything. Everything.
I couldn't stop them.
What are they up to, Pete?
Grandpa...
You remember when
we came back from Canada?
No...
I was so sick...
You cared for me for weeks, remember?
In... in the front room.
Yes, in the front room.
We had a great view down that long street.
I lay there looking at the clouds.
You said that heaven
was at the end of the street.
You only had to take tram 11 to get there.
Dld you sleep?
- A llttle.
He Is restless.
Tosslng and turnlng all nlght.
Poor man.
- It's terrlble to see hlm suffer.
Wlll you look In my handbook, Pete?
Look up the slde-effects of Haloperldol?
Haloperidol?
Get some fresh alr.
- Go and look.
I'm not golng out.
Everyone thlnks I'm some klnd of wltch.
You found it?
It's fatal in high doses.
You want the slde-effects?
She sent his carers home. He's old, ill,
defenceless. We may be too late!
Hello, madam.
We're looking for Lucia de Berk.
Mrs de Berk, we'd like an interview.
An interview? Well... fine.
But I want to finish this first.
- I think not.
Astrid fancies you, doesn't she?
Astrid? No way.
- Yes, really. I saw it twice and it's true.
Hello. They left you in the dark?
That's no good.
Have you had any coffee?
- No.
Here we are. Sugar, milk...
Hey, cookies.
You brought those for me, Henk?
Well...
Cookie?
- Please.
Well, Lucia... Can I call you Lucia?
Yes, sure.
- I can.
That was quite something right,
with Timo?
And the other one... Mohammed?
- Wait a sec.
Let her drink her coffee.
Then we'll talk about how she helped Timo.
No, I didn't help Timo.
But he was a patient of yours.
I'm a bit confused now.
You help these children. I understand.
You don't want them to suffer.
Right. You don't want that.
When's my lawyer coming?
In a minute. On his way.
You spent a lot of time with the children?
More than your colleagues.
- Yes... it kept happening with me.
It hit me really hard.
I'm an emotional person.
- Emotional?
Really, Lucia?
No offence, but it says you
abandoned your daughter.
Doesn't sound very emotional.
I didn't abandon her.
You had a new lover so she moved in
with her father, didn't she?
Where's my lawyer?
Have you been in trouble with the police?
Prostitution, for example?
It says so here.
You told a colleague
you were arrested as a child prostitute.
Wasn't that tough on your mother?
A daughter doing that work and...
I want my lawyer.
- Why not? You still look good.
I can't imagine you doing it,
but it says...
you placed your own death notice
in the paper to shock your mother?
Something terrible must have happened
to make you do that.
What kind of person was she?
Hello! Don't sit there daydreaming.
We're having such a nice time.
Why have you started?
I clearly told you to wait.
Yes, but we haven't started.
We just had coffee and a chat.
No one can save you now.
The "Angel of Death", suspected serlal
klller Lucla de B., has been arrested.
The ex-prostltute Is suspected of 7 murders
and 5 attempted murders of patlents.
Isn't that that Lucia de Berk?
10 February 2002
Two months after her arrest
In the diary you mention a compulsion.
Is that an urge to kill?
Lucia! You get the question?
- I invoke my right to silence.
I didn't ask that.
- But it's my answer.
You have anything to hide?
You hid your compulsion or compulsions?
I invoke my right to silence.
- Why did you kill the children?
I invoke my right to silence.
- Because your lawyer told you to.
It's what I want too.
- Why?
Because it's my right.
This isn't going to get us a case.
We have to win this one.
Can you contact that toxicologist
we used before? Bernard Vos, I think.
To replace Dr Kobes, because she is sick.
It must be hard?
We have a poisoning and a diary,
that's not enough.
It's not like writing a thesis, is it?
I understand. One moment.
Lucia's grandpa has died.
Bos? I want to tell her myself
and see how she reacts.
Keep your distance.
I'll be behind right outside.
Pay close attention!
Sorry.
I have to take this. You go, I'll follow.
Johansson speaking? Yes...
That's right.
I'm Judith Jansen.
Maybe you could sit up straight?
I have bad news for you.
Your grandfather has died.
No emotion whatsoever.
I'm not surprised.
They've been back twice.
They only left the dirty laundry.
They even visited grandma.
She's so upset!
- And the newspapers. They're crazy.
They say you have compulsions.
I told you to stop laying those tarot cards.
Now they think... never mind.
- The things they say, Mum.
Don't listen, dear.
- It's not true.
Of course not.
- They'll find out they made a mistake.
They have to.
Fabinne...
Look at me.
They have to.
- Let go. No touching.
Hey...
Your new boyfriend...
How's it going?
Are you with him a lot?
We want a house.
With a garden. For his dogs.
- Dogs? He's got more than one?
They're huge.
But they're really nice, Mum. Really.
If you could see them...
Darling, I'm there.
I'm always there.
Even when I'm not with you, I'm still there.
- That's enough, Lucia. Hands apart.
We'll have to do a full cavity search now.
You know that.
Okay, that's it. Time's up.
Come on...
See you soon.
- Bye, dear.
You're early.
- Have you seen Johansson?
I think she had an appointment
in the cafeteria.
A piece is missing.
The heart monitor was off for 30 minutes.
There's a gap on the graph.
One hour before Timo died,
it was unplugged.
That's the time Lucia needed to inject
the poison. No needle marks because...
she put it in the new drip!
Even if we prove this,
we can't prove the other murders.
Why not? It all fits.
Her crime novels, bad childhood,
vindictive towards her mother...
A Ioner, manipulative, compulsions.
All characteristics of a psychopath.
In the US, they sentence a thousand
criminals a year based on profiling.
If one murder is proven,
the others are plausible.
We can use this as...
- A link in a chain.
For some time the suspect was alone
with the victim and in that time...
Mrs de Berk had an opportunity
to inject the poison through the drip.
Your honour, my client said that
Dr Kobes stood beside her all the time.
Thank you for the addition, Mr Bakker.
- The prosecution has replaced a witness?
Indeed, Dr Barbara Kobes is ill.
She'll be replaced by an expert,
toxicologist Dr Vos.
Dr Vos, you endorse
the digoxin poisoning ofbaby Timo?
The clinical picture is right. Diarrhoea,
abrupt cessation ofbreathing...
I haven't seen the post-mortem,
but the heart was contracted?
You can be sure of that.
My client wants to emphasize that
Dr Kobes was present and supervised her.
In addition, the child was very weak.
When Timo died it was natural causes.
That was in the report.
Why was it changed to poisoning?
Timo was stable and later
we concluded that the substances...
He wasn't stable. He had watery stool
and lack of oxygen. He was very sick.
Mrs de Berk, please.
Dr Kobes' report says the child was stable.
He was healthy enough to go home.
- No. He's dead, isn't he?
Mr Bakker, if your client continues
to interrupt, I'll have her removed.
The prosecution says Mrs de Berk is not
only responsible for baby Timo's death...
she's also responsible for the death of
several patients in hospitals in The Hague.
Statistics, compulsion and criminal profile
carry such weight...
we can link the other murders directly
to the digoxin murder.
If the court and defense approve,
I will finish for now...
by reading the names
of the victims and their age.
They are: The baby Timo Visser, 2 months.
The infant Abdel Hani, 2 years old.
Baby Mohammed Baltoun, six months.
Baby Amal Wassim, three months.
Mrs de Wit, 91 years old,
Mrs Koog Smulders, 83 years old,
Mrs den Uil-Groenesteeg, 76 years old.
Mrs van Zutphen, 92...
and Mr Wong, 82.
Oh yes, it went very well...
It's my period.
- Undress and bend over.
Verdlct Angel of Death.
Bend over.
In the case against Lucia de Berk...
after lengthy deliberation, the court...
finds her guilty of seven murders
and attempted murders.
The court sentences you,
Lucia de Berk, to life in prison.
Paul, Paul...
this is my ministering angel Judith Jansen.
My husband Paul.
I heard a lot about you. Well done.
Ernestine!
Congratulations.
- Thank you.
What a relief.
It is indeed!
- Well done.
Hello Paul! You okay?
Great to see you.
You must be proud.
She started talking gibberish.
She was acutely admitted last week.
Again? I was afraid of that.
Dr Kobes stayed home last year too.
I don't know much more.
Are you aware Dr Kobes
was acutely admitted?
Acutely? Acutely? It's not that bad.
She's just had a burnout.
It can happen to the best of us.
I told Joyce: We'll ask you
to Tuscany when it's all over.
Come away for a weekend.
- You still have that huge pizza oven?
D&B psychlatrlc hospltal.
This is Judith Jansen, prosecution.
I'd like to speak to someone about
a patient who was admitted recently:
Barbara Kobes.
Why am I looking at this?
- Barbara Kobes is clinically depressed.
She has been very ill for very long.
- Dr Vos was a fine replacement.
But Dr Kobes made the summaries
we used to accuse Lucia de Berk.
That was ages ago.
- Maybe she made mistakes.
We may have the wrong facts.
Dr Kobes...
We have a clear case.
We have to prepare for the appeal.
And Dr Vos can help us just fine.
I mean maybe we should do
more research.
So we're prepared and
can't be trumped by the defense.
They'll know that Dr Kobes is in hospital
and use that.
You were here
when we spoke to the police?
When that baby died.
You're Karima, right?
Can I help you?
Lucia was a fine nurse.
She was crazy about children.
She always got the difficult cases.
She put Timo on the heart monitor herself
because she was worried.
He needed oxygen, had diarrhoea
and a severe heart condition.
He was very ill.
- But he was stable?
His bad condition was.
The baby didn't have a chance.
I thought that all the files...
would show Lucia was innocent.
- Baby Mohammed? Were you working then?
Mohammed...
he was hysterical.
He kept screaming and shouting.
Lucia was completely exhausted.
She was allowed to leave early.
What time?
- About 10 o'clock...
The report said the baby died
just before the night shift. It suffocated.
Lucia had long gone home.
The hospital merger was imminent.
If we'd say anything about it, then...
Then what?
Everyone was afraid of dismissal.
Judith!
It's good to see you.
Now I can thank you personally
for all that you did.
How goes the merger?
No problems?
No, it's all good.
You came to prepare me for the hearing?
- Oh, don't worry about that.
We want the original files of
all the suspicious deaths for the appeal.
Oh, that. I think you received everything.
They were only summaries.
We want the originals.
Oh, okay.
They won't question me on that, will they?
- No, we just want to double check.
Now that Dr Kobes is in hospital.
Yes... well...
Fine. I'll make sure you get them
as soon as possible, because...
the defense already took away copies.
This is Quirijn Herzberg.
Your new lawyer.
He'll help us with the appeal.
- Theo told me about you.
At least we've got you out of observation.
Quirijn took care of that.
It's shared cells these days,
but that means you can socialize again.
We are down 10-0...
We'll have to score 11 goals to win.
We've been given time
to examine all the case files.
Tell me anything you think might help.
Only then can I defend you.
You understand?
You should feel comfortable sharing
everything with me.
Everything.
Why do you want my case?
Why?
- Yes. What's the point?
It won't make you rich.
You don't even know me.
I do know you.
I read the paper and watch TV.
You are famous.
If people so badly want to believe something
is wrong, it's usually more complicated.
When Theo asked me to look at your
case, I too was amazed.
The argumentation is flawed.
It's all based on assumptions, gossip
and faulty prosecution evidence.
The judges swallowed it all,
influenced by a strange mass hysteria.
It's clear to me that this is a witch-hunt.
Well...
What do we do now?
You brought the whole library with you?
- Yes, I've got life. That's why.
I'm Jenny.
Lucia.
The witch?
- No, Lucia de Berk.
So what are you doing?
Helping my lawyer...
prove that I'm innocent.
Cigarette?
Please.
You didn't do it then?
No.
They all say you did.
- They say lots of things.
Did you do it?
- Sure. But he asked for it.
If the liver is enlarged, that means
the heart is dystonic, contracted.
19 April 2004
Appeal Hearing
Mrs Chairman, Mrs Johansson,
Mr van Hoensbroeck.
You have the floor.
Mr Espen, who was responsible for the
statistics, is a professor of criminology.
He's not a statistics expert.
No, but he is someone...
- He based them on hospital numbers?
That is true.
Mr van Hoensbroeck, you studied
medicine, then worked in pharmaceuticals.
You also took an MBA?
That's correct.
You were responsible for
the numbers on deaths and staff?
That's correct.
And they were the numbers for 2001?
- Correct.
Can you tell me how many deaths
there were in your hospital in 2000?
In 2000?
I shall have to look that up.
You never did that?
- For 2000? No.
And for the year before that?
- No, no...
I don't know that either.
Do know how many nurses worked
in your hospital in 2000 and before?
It would be hard to answer
that question.
Hundreds?
Anyway, that varies...
Do you at least know when
the night and day shifts start?
Well, the times... No.
That's not my field.
Yet you provided numbers that led to
statistics which incriminated my client.
The defense wants to show
these numbers are based solely on 2001.
They don't show how many people worked
in the hospital, when, or how long.
Mr van Hoensbroeck...
Can you assure me these numbers
do not apply to any other year?
No, I can't.
Chairman, the statistics
were no longer relevant...
and were removed from the charge.
The charge itself remains unchanged.
But... that isn't right!
Hello.
- Hello.
Judith Jansen. We met before...
when you examined that baby: Timo.
I'm from the prosecution
and came with Johansson.
Yes, of course.
I wondered if you remember
if the heart was contracted?
I put that in the file. It went to Dr Kobes.
I assume you have it.
Wait.
Let me see...
Yes, here.
The heart was at rest.
At rest?
So not contracted?
No. Rest.
That doesn't fit with digoxin poisoning.
- No, hence the new test.
Who requested that?
- Your office did.
Mrs Johansson.
They were just done in Strasbourg.
Is there any mail from Strasbourg?
Strasbourg?
- Johansson ordered a new test.
Are you still fussing about that?
Did something come from Strasbourg?
- Ask her yourself.
If you carry on like this,
she'll chuck you out.
Ladies...
I'm going out for lunch today.
Will you lock my door, Antoinette?
Mrs Johansson...
Mrs Johansson!
The heart was at rest.
- What?
Baby Timo's. I was in the hospital and
the pathologist confirmed it was at rest.
You found that out this morning?
- There was no digoxin poisoning.
Did you want to be a defense counsel?
We are accusing her
of murdering babies and old people.
With Mohammed she wasn't even there.
- You do know who you work for?
Have the results from Strasbourg arrived?
- This is a serial killer.
We have to protect society and especially
the weak and needy against her sort.
The other murders are a chain linked
to the digoxin. If the test is negative...
We are done with the digoxin.
- But you ordered the test yourself.
Look at the whole picture.
The lies, compulsion, prostitution.
The grudge against her mother.
All her colleagues testified against her.
Lucia de Berk is a psychopath.
How blind can you be?
It's not right.
We made a mistake.
I think you should go on leave.
Right now.
4 June 2004
Appeal
Haven't seen you around.
No...
I heard you had a burnout.
Burnout?
I feel like I'm only balanced one here...
Turn around.
Lucia!
We have a good case.
They can't brush this aside. Don't forget!
Not a single witness observed...
that any action or lack thereofby
Lucia de Berk led to a patient's death...
or made resuscitation necessary.
No one saw...
Nor is there any evidence of Lucia
de Berk giving a patient an overdose...
or doing anything else
that could be a cause of death.
There are no fingerprints
on a strip of pills or bottle of medicine...
linking her to the unauthorized
administering of medication.
Any proof...
of a direct link between the
alleged crimes and Lucia de Berk...
is absent.
Lucia nursed extremely ill patients
with a very low life expectancy.
These people were in hospital.
And however hard that is to accept,
sometimes people die there.
Against the image of a chain-link locomotive,
we place that of a house of cards.
We regard the prosecution's case
as such a construction.
If one moves away from suggestion,
that house collapses.
If only the facts count, Lucia de Berk
will be cleared...
of all charges.
18 June 2004
The Verdict on Appeal
You may sit down.
You killed defenseless innocent victims,
deliberately and in a very refined way...
without leaving a single trace.
Your actions have damaged
society's trust in our hospitals.
You're sentenced for 7 murders...
- I don't have to hear this.
To life in prison...
- I didn't do it.
And to involuntary commitment.
- I didn't do it.
No. I didn't do it.
I didn't do it!
I didn't do it.
Pete, I didn't do it!
I didn't do it!
Life with involuntary commitment...
It's legally impossible.
Everyone's gone crazy.
I...
I don't understand it.
They ignored all the facts and
threw out all exculpatory evidence.
We'll contest the appeal
and find something to reopen the case.
Then we'll go to the Supreme Court...
I didn't do it.
I know that.
Do you?
- Yes.
They all say it, don't they?
All those judges,
all those bigwigs, everyone...
I wouldn't believe me either.
- Lucia... No.
We're going to show the judges
are simply parroting each other.
We'll contest this.
There only has to be one error
in the verdict. You're innocent.
Don't forget that.
Quirijn Herzberg speaking?
Hello?
Who is this?
I may be able to get new information.
Come in.
An independent digoxin test
was done in Strasbourg.
The prosecution probably
has the results.
If they show that Timo died naturally and
wasn't killed, the whole case collapses.
And if they show otherwise?
You really think they will?
- No.
Why do you think the results weren't used?
I don't know if Lucia can handle
another disappointment.
I did so much to get her in jail.
If you can get hold of that test somehow...
I'll submit it to the Supreme Court.
Antoinette?
It's Judith! I'm in the cafeteria
and thought: We never said goodbye.
Shall we have a coffee?
You can find 15 minutes, can't you?
Strasbourg Laboratorlum
Where were you?
- I thought I'd meet you on the way.
I don't think you're allowed
up here anymore...
You have this room all to yourself now?
That's nice!
Can I see your bag?
My bag?
Why are you here?
I came to thank you...
It was great working together.
What are you doing here?
I would like to talk to you.
Has somebody else died?
I know you're innocent.
Now you tell me!
That's a little late, isn't it?
Or did you forget
how long I've been here?
Only four or five years.
That's a long time.
I've had plenty of time to think...
about why I am in here...
and why I'll probably never get out.
I don't think that you,
with your pretty face...
and your well-paid job...
can imagine what it's like to have
appearances against you.
Whatever you do or say, it's never right.
If you wear a short skirt, you're a whore.
But smart clothing is suspicious.
Sit up straight and you're too cocky,
slouch and you're hiding something.
If you're quiet, they put you in solitary.
But if you're loud, they do too.
Never mind what you do...
you lose, every time.
Without Pete and Fabinne
I wouldn't be here anymore.
They know I'm innocent.
But that's not going to save me.
I have a very good lawyer, a darling.
But we won't pull it off.
- Mrs de Berk...
Oh, get lost!
I don't know why you're here,
but I can't take much more.
If you came to salve your conscience...
I have a French lab report.
It says that baby Timo died of a heart
condition, oedema and an infection.
Natural causes.
It wasn't murder.
I'm so sorry.
I was wrong.
Coffee!
Oh, that's good.
Thank you.
Tomorrow... That's when you hear?
Yes, tomorrow.
I try not to think about it.
- Why not? You'll be out in no time.
You know what's so strange?
If I can leave tomorrow, then...
I think I'll really miss you. All of you.
- No way.
And all those crying babies.
Lucia, will you take her?
Of course, dear.
Come on, girl.
- What's the matter? Come, darling...
Hey, girl... Take it easy...
Easy...
I know how to silence a baby.
14 March 2006
Supreme Court Ruling
What do you think?
Whatever happens, we'll call the paper.
- Yes...
They didn't allow it.
The test results arrived in Holland
four days after the verdict.
Therefore, no errors were made.
They only saw it after the verdict.
That's ridiculous. Digoxin condemned her.
But for an annulment they don't examine
that. They only look for legal errors.
There was no legal error.
We'll go to the paper.
So they can throw the kitchen sink
at Lucia again? Another media circus?
She won't survive that!
So much can happen.
I...
I have nothing left.
- You have to persevere.
For your daughter.
Your husband.
Promise me.
Lucia.
Sir, please.
Lucia, promise me.
Lucia, please.
She's dead. I'm sure ofit.
- Don't say that!
Peter, please. She isn't dead.
They moved her. They must have.
But where to?
No one will tell us.
I'm going to the prosecutor's office
tomorrow. They know where she is.
Improper behavior, passing evidence
to unauthorized parties...
Where is she?
Lucia de Berk? Where is she?
I had high hopes for you,
very high hopes...
Have you been to Tuscany yet with
Jaap van Hoensbroeck? To celebrate?
You're fired.
Oh, girl...
Posslble mlscarrlage of justlce
In Lucla de B. Case
Lucia's lawyer had the case reopened.
He called the paper and they've run with it.
She'll get a special commission.
It might take a while but...
well done, girl.
There's no 'lack of evidence',
there simply were no murders.
I'll start with the conclusion and
the verdict, Mrs de Berk, to avoid...
keeping you and all those present
in suspense any longer.
There is no clear and convincing proof
that you committed any crime.
All patients died of natural causes
and you are blameless.
Apart from not returning library books,
but we won't pursue that.
Mrs de Berk, you are cleared
of all charges brought against you.
At last!
- Congratulations!
Is it true?
- Yes, Mum. It's true.
I have some influence but not that much.
I'd do the exact same thing tomorrow.
Lucia!
Look here!
There they are again.
- Yes.
Congratulations on the verdict!
- Can I ask you a question?
Do this restore your faith
In our legal system?
I'll be seeing you.
Lucia de Berk was wrongly imprisoned
for 6 years, 3 months and 19 days.
No staff of the hospital or the prosecution
received any reprimand.
The Council for the Judiciary chairman,
the A.G. Of the Public Prosecution Service...
and the Minister of Justice
all personally apologized to Lucia.
Metta de Noo and Ton Derksen were
the actual whistle-blowers.
After being exonerated, Lucia married
Peter and now has a granddaughter.
Lucia and her lawyer regularly give
lectures to law students.