Els Borst
Els Borst, photographed in 2011 Getty

Bart van U, the Dutch suspect in the murder case of Dutch politician Els Borst, admitted to killing Borst because of her lobbying in favour of a euthanasia law in the Netherlands. The suspect said he received a "task from God" to murder the democratic politician in 2014.

The former politician, who resigned from political life in 2002, worked on the euthanasia law for years. Apart from her work for women's rights and abortion, Borst was most known for passing the euthanasia bill while leading the Democrats 66 Party.

Van U had refused to talk in the case so far but surprised the judge on 4 February, saying he wanted to speak behind closed doors. The judge agreed to his request after which Van U reportedly confessed to killing Borst in 2014.

Borst was found dead in her garage in Bilthoven, near central Dutch town Utrecht, on 10 February 2010. She was 81 when she was killed.

Van U, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, has spent two periods of seven weeks in forensic psychiatric observation clinic the Pieter Baan centre and the judge said he did not have to go back as she does not expect new findings to arise. The judge also said it would be "extremely confusing" for Van U.

Current Democrats 66 leader Alexander Pechtold said he was shocked by the news and asked the public on the D66 website not to get in touch with Borst's family, who said they needed space to deal with the death.

"My most frightening suspicions have unfortunately turned out to be true," Pechtold said. "The suspect's motive is shocking and confronting. Els has been killed because of her groundbreaking political and social work on the subject of euthanasia.

"This horrible truth makes it even more difficult to grief her death. Els represented everything D66 is all about. My thoughts are with her family and loved ones, to whom this confession provides more clarity but also more grief."