A psychiatric clinic in Maastricht has been ordered to hand over camera footage of a man suspected of three murders to the public prosecution department.

Judges ruled on Tuesday that the Mondriaan clinic where Thijs H went after allegedly committing the murders must hand over the tape so it can be used as evidence in court.

The clinic had refused to hand over the footage, citing patient confidentiality. Neither the police nor the clinic have said what is on the tapes.

Thijs H was arrested earlier this month after police put out a nationwide alert. He is suspected of killing three people – two people found dead on heathland in Limburg  and a woman whose body was found in woods near Scheveningen. All had been out walking their dogs.

According to the AD, H first went to the clinic voluntarily on Monday after the first murder but left that evening after climbing over a wall. He was then taken back to the clinic by his parents after second murders were committed, late on Tuesday.

H has denied murder and the police say they need the footage for the investigation, the AD said. People close to H have refused to make a statement, as have clinic staff, the paper said.