Dutch courts last year sentenced 218 people to undergo some form of psychiatric help last year, down from 250 cases in 2018 but up sharply on five years ago, according to new figures from the Council for the Judiciary.

Of  the 2019 cases, 145 people were ordered to be detained in a secure psychiatric unit. The rest were treated as outpatients.

Spokesman Jan Moors said in a press statement no research has been carried out into the increase since 2015, when 146 people were ordered to undergo threatment (tbs). Nevertheless, judges do get the feeling that more people with psychiatric problems are ending up in court, Moors said.

Judges were also asked to rule on extending a tbs sentence 1,200 times last year, and granted the extension in 87% of cases.

Earlier this week, tbs clinics said in Trouw that budget cuts and the increase in complex cases are putting pressure on their services. In addition, it is becoming more difficult to find qualified staff, the clinics said.

Courts can impose a tbs sentence if the suspect carried out a crime with a sentence of at least four years in jail, is suffering from a psychiatric disorder and would continue to be a danger to society without treatment.