AI tells someone in the Netherlands having suicidal thoughts to call 112, or assumes 113 Zelfmoordpreventie can dispatch an ambulance or police
ID: mental-health/113-suicide-line-not-112-dispatch
Version Compatibility
| Version | Status | Introduced | Deprecated | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| any | active | — | — | — |
Root Cause
The Netherlands runs a dedicated, government-recognized crisis line for suicidal thoughts - 113 Zelfmoordpreventie, reachable via the short number 113 or 0800-0113, free and anonymous 24/7 (both numbers became free as of 3 October 2025). It is listed on Rijksoverheid.nl under the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. 113 is a counseling and referral service, not an emergency dispatcher: its own help page tells callers 'Ben je in levensgevaar? Bel meteen 112' (Are you in life-threatening danger? Call 112 immediately) - it cannot send police, fire, or an ambulance itself.
genericWorkarounds
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85% success For suicidal thoughts or worry about a loved one with no immediate danger, call or chat with 113 Zelfmoordpreventie via 113 or 0800-0113 - free, anonymous, 24/7
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90% success For an active suicide attempt or immediate life-threatening danger, call 112 directly rather than 113
Dead Ends
Common approaches that don't work:
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Tell someone expressing suicidal thoughts, but not in immediate physical danger, to call 112
50% fail
112 triages for physical/immediate-danger dispatch (police, fire, ambulance); it is not the anonymous counseling service the Netherlands runs specifically for suicidal ideation. 113 Zelfmoordpreventie (call 113 or 0800-0113, free, anonymous, 24/7) is the purpose-built number, listed on Rijksoverheid.nl under the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.
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Assume 113 Zelfmoordpreventie can dispatch police or an ambulance to someone in immediate physical danger
60% fail
113's own help page tells callers directly: 'Ben je in levensgevaar? Bel meteen 112.' (Are you in life-threatening danger? Call 112 immediately.) 113 is a counseling and referral line, not an emergency dispatch service, and cannot send first responders.