Dutch court seals 'horror dentist' extradition to France

THE HAGUE - A Dutch court on Tuesday confirmed the extradition of a rogue Dutch dentist to stand trial in France on suspicion of mutilating dozens of patients.

Dubbed the "horror dentist" by the media, Mark van Nierop was detained in Canada in October and flown back to his native Netherlands where he was arrested under a Paris-issued international warrant.

The Hague district court said in a statement that Van Nierop's challenge to his extradition had been rejected and ordered him to pay costs.

Van Nierop, 50, filed the request after an Amsterdam court last month ruled he could be sent to France to face charges including aggravated assault and fraud.

Many of Van Nierop's 2,800 patients suffered disorders ranging from sepsis to broken jaws, according to a French victims' group.

Dutch media also reported healthy teeth being pulled for no reason and abusive billing.

The former dentist however challenged the extradition, saying he suffered from "psychological problems" including gender identity issues and had suicidal tendencies which could only be treated in the Netherlands.

A French judge meanwhile has given the assurance that Van Nierop would receive similar treatment as in the Netherlands.

Dutch prosecutors are also probing his claim that he killed his second wife in 2006, two years before he was persuaded by an investor to move to the remote rural area of Chateau-Chinon in central France, described as a "medical desert" because of a lack of medical professionals.