DUTCH NATIONAL ELWIN TER HORST RELEASED BY KWALE COURT OVER MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS AFTER ASSAULT CHARGES
Elwin Ter Horst, a Dutch national, was recently released unconditionally by a Kwale court after being declared unfit to stand trial due to medical reasons, specifically bipolar disorder and another condition affecting his ability to take a plea.
Ter Horst had been arrested in Diani, Kwale County, following a series of troubling incidents including assaulting a police officer, verbally abusing officers while intoxicated, and assaulting his Kenyan girlfriend.
His arrest also uncovered possession of a suspected narcotic substance.
The video footage that went viral showed Ter Horst abusing, spitting, and insulting police officers at the Diani Police Station.
He was initially detained for 14 days while the investigations proceeded and faced multiple charges including assault causing bodily harm, malicious damage to property, creating a disturbance, and drug trafficking.
It was also found that his passport had expired, rendering his presence illegal in Kenya.
During his court hearing, medical experts from Port Reitz Hospital confirmed his bipolar disorder diagnosis, which played a crucial role in the court’s decision to release him on health grounds as he was deemed incapable of participating in his defense.
Ter Horst, who apologized for his actions citing a psychosis episode and a lack of food and water at the time, had expressed a desire to remain and invest in Kenya despite the controversies.