Doctors-sadist from the psycho-neurological care facility of Mukachevo will be under the investigation of the General Prosecutor’s Office

Local Prosecutor’s Office of Mukachevo has submitted information, on the facts of human rights violation of patients of the psycho-neurological care facility of Mukachevo, to the National Register of Pre-Trial Investigations on the grounds of criminal offense under the Article 367 part 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Neglect of official duty).

As reported by the press service of the Prosecutor’s Office of Transcarpathian region.

Serious human rights violations of patients in the psycho-neurological care facility of Mukachevo were detected by the monitoring group composed by the employee of the Department for the realization of National Preventive Mechanism of the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights and a regional public relations coordinator of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Transcarpathian region, who visited the facility without warning in January 2017.

Monitoring group found evidence of illegal use of isolation of people with disorders. They were isolated in a basement room with metal grate on the door, they forbid for patients to be in their rooms during daytime, engaged disabled people in agricultural work, for whom work therapy is not recommended.

At the same time, were detected facts of disabled patients, who have a guardian, signing official documents to receive social assistance against the law (such persons can not perform the juridical acts, since they do not have the required civil competency).

Investigator of the Mukachevo Police Department of the General Directorate of the National Police in Transcarpathian region, under the procedural guidance of the local Prosecutor’s Office of Mukachevo, was instructed to carry out the pre-trial investigation in the specified criminal proceedings.

As a reminder, in January 2017, the monitoring group of the National Preventive Mechanism during the unwarned visit documented facts of major human rights violation of patients of the psycho-neurological care facility of Mukachevo.

According to the monitoring group, administration is illegally isolating people with mental disorders in the basement with metal grates. Participants of the visit found four people in the basement. During a previous visit monitoring group found a woman who was held in the illegally installed cage.

In addition, staff, on the order of the psychiatrists, prohibits for patients to remain in their rooms or lay on the beds during the daytime, therefore people spend days just sitting or walking through corridors.

Even disabled people are involved in the agricultural work. Ignoring the fact that work therapy can harm them, doctor prescribes them 4-5 hours of work without the recommendations of the Medical and Social Assessment Board. For this they receive from 10 to 70 hryvnias per month.

The patients complained about bad food and that they have to buy food at their own expense. They also buy toilet paper and soap at their own expense, though hygiene products are available at the warehouse.

There were also detected issues which require a special attention of the relevant authorities. For example, director of the care facility has not been performing his functional duties for a long time, and spending all the time either on medical leave or in vacation.