‘Dentist of Horror’ Goes on Trial in France for Allegedly Mutilating Mouths

Dentist Jacobus Van Nierop went on trial in France on Tuesday where he is facing charges of aggravated assault for allegedly mangling the mouths of up to 120 patients.

The 51-year-old Dutch man, who is being called the ‘Dentist of Horror,’ allegedly left patients in the rural village of Chateau-Chinon with cracked jaws, abscesses and septicaemia, reports AFP. He is also facing charges of trying to defraud both insurance companies and patients. If guilty, he could get up to 10 years in prison.

Nicole Martin, who lost multiple teeth due to abscesses in her mouth caused by Van Nierop’s operations, set up a victims’ group to press charges. One of the 120 members of the group, Bernard Hugon, told AFP that the dentist ripped out a tooth and left “pieces of flesh hanging everywhere.”

According to AFP, Dutch media reports that Van Nierop’s practice in the Netherlands had come under investigation prior to his move to France.

[AFP]