Junior justice minister Fred Teeven is demanding answers after a television show revealed there were at least 25 sexual relationships between people held in psychiatric prisons and prison staff over the past five years.

Television show Dit is de Dag revealed there were four relationships between patients and staff in the Kijvelanden TBS clinic in Poortugaal last year, and two at the Oostvaarders TBS clinic in Almere.

In total, 18 relationships were reported to the health inspectorate over the past five years and a further seven were hushed up, the show said. Reporting such relationships is compulsory.

Rapist

One relationship in the Oostvaarders clinic was between an occupational therapist and a serial rapist. She was sacked after smuggling several telephones into the clinic for the man.

In another case, a psychotic drug addict was allowed to look at other patients’ medical records after an affair with a psychologist. She was also sacked.

Both cases are currently under official investigation.

TBS

TBS (terbeschikkingstelling) is the compulsory detention of convicted criminals in special psychiatric hospitals. TBS is initially for two years but may be extended. It is always added on after prison sentences.

For example, a parent may be sentenced to three years in prison for murdering a child followed by eight years TBS. Approximately 93% of people in TBS clinics are male and the courts order around 250 TBS sentences per year.