Council of Europe anti-torture committee signals serious deficiencies in Romanian forensic psychiatric hospitals
A report published on Wednesday, October 15, by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (or CPT) urges Romanian authorities to address serious shortcomings in the treatment and conditions of detention of patients in forensic psychiatric hospitals.
The deficiencies in the Romanian system were identified by the Committee representatives during a visit to the country in 2024.
The CPT conducted follow-up visits to Săpoca Hospital, last visited in 2014, and Pădureni-Grajduri Hospital, last visited in 2022. Additionally, it visited the psychiatric and safety measures hospitals in Jebel and Ștei for the first time.
In the CPT’s opinion, the treatment of some patients in forensic psychiatric hospitals is neglectful and, in certain cases, could amount to inhuman and degrading treatment and an ongoing violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.
At Pădureni-Grajduri, Ștei, and Săpoca hospitals, the committee received numerous credible and consistent allegations of physical ill-treatment of patients by auxiliary staff. The ill-treatment consisted of slapping, pushing, twisting ears, pulling hair, punching, hitting with objects, and kicking, including while the patient was lying on the floor, the Committee said.
Additionally, in Ștei Hospital, the CPT delegation learned of the use of an electrical discharge weapon against patients by auxiliary staff, an incident which was under investigation by the authorities.
The Committee also found a neglectful practice causing death; namely, that in three of the four hospitals visited, post-mortem examinations showed that a total of eight patients had died by choking on their food in the last three years. This suggests that patients at such risk are not being identified and/or measures are not put in place to ensure that they can ingest their food safely.
Regarding material conditions, although some renovations had occurred or were ongoing, patient accommodation areas were generally bleak, untherapeutic, and lacked personalisation, with some "being distinctly carceral," according to the press release. In Pădureni-Grajduri Hospital, at least 78 of the 409 patients were required to share beds with other patients at the time of the 2024 visit.
The CPT found that the number of staff caring for the large numbers of often agitated patients remained insufficient to provide the necessary care, treatment, and supervision.
In reply, the Romanian state vowed to implement reforms in the national mental health service, according to the National Health Strategy 2023-2030 and its Action Plan.
(Photo source: Tudor Vintiloiu | Dreamstime.com)
