The trial of faith healer Jomanda and two practitioners of alternative medicine, charged with contributing to the death of actress Sylvia Millecam from cancer seven years ago, began in Amsterdam on Monday.

On Friday it emerged that Millecam’s partner and family had sent an open letter to the queen and health minister Ab Klink saying that Millecam herself was opposed to hospital treatment.
The prosecution service originally decided against a trial because Millecam had turned her back on the mainstream health profession. In total she consulted 28 therapists.
But the opponents of alternative therapies, including the association against quack medicine, went to court themselves to force through legal action.
On Monday morning, judges were critical of Jomanda’s failure to appear in court. News agency ANP said the faith healer feared an incident would take place in or close to the court.