The man who stabbed three teenagers at random in the centre of The Hague last month was well known to both the police and social services, local broadcaster Omroep West has reported.

The broadcaster bases its claim on confidential documents which also show the man was considered to be a danger to others by experts. Luis P was earlier arrested in France after hitting a passerby at random and had only recently been released from psychiatric hospital after assaulting his mother.

VVD parliamentarian Jeroen van Wijngaarden told the broadcaster that he would be asking for a debate with ministers about the case.

‘He had committed assault after assault and society should be protected from people like him,’ Van Wijngaarden said. ‘If there are any doubts about the risks people pose, they should not be out walking around.’

P launched his attack outside the Hudson’s Bay department store, when the streets were crowded with Black Friday bargain hunters.

The teenagers – a 13-year-old boy from The Hague, and two 15-year-old girls from Alphen aan den Rijn and Leiderdorp – were treated in hospital.