Human
rights news: August 2005
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17 August 2005 |
:: NEWS :: |
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Man found dead in suspicious circumstances in Karlukovo Psychiatric Hospital24-year-old Ivailo found beaten and strangled |
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Ivailo Vakarelski, aged 24, from Samokov, was found dead on 30 June 2005 in the State Psychiatric Hospital in Karlukovo. He was found beaten and strangled. According to his mother, there were bruises over his entire body. The man's family reports that Ivailo became ill in his early 20s. He suffered from a severe depression, but failed to take his prescribed medication regularly. In 2003, he had been hospitalized in the Karlukovo clinic for three months and returned home in a relatively good condition. But later on his state deteriorated. At the end of June 2005 he went out for a walk in Samokov and didn't make it back home. On 01.07.2005 policemen in Samokov went to Ivailo's parents to inform them that their son had died the previous day at 9 am in the Karlukovo hospital. He had ended up in the hospital after having been detained several days earlier by police in Samokov, who sent him to the Sofia psychiatric dispensary and from there on - to the Karlukovo hospital. Ivailo's parents left for Karlukovo that same day. Upon arrival they were told that an autopsy could be performed only if they paid for one. Both parents are unemployed so they declined, and the hospital did not perform a post mortem. The hospital authorities did not inform the man's family that according to the Healthcare Act, in case of death that has occurred in a healthcare institution, the institution shall perform a mandatory post mortem. Ivailo was buried in Samokov the next day without the exact cause of his death being established. The BHC is representing Ivailo's family. The Lovech regional prosecutor has started an inquiry on the matter, the results of which are expected by the end of August. Other death cases in psychiatric institutions monitored by the BHC The BHC is monitoring two other death cases in psychiatric institutions. One is the case of 26-year-old Boyko Lazarov who died in the psychiatric ward of the prison in Lovech on 28 July 2005. This happened 23 days after Lazarov escaped from the court in Dupnitza while on trial by jumping from the second floor window. He was later found and moved to the Lovech prison. An investigative case will be initiated in this matter. The second case is that of Boris Ivanov, 59, a resident of the Social
Care Home for Mentally Ill Men in the village of Pastra. Boris Ivanov
was found dead in his bed in November 2004 by institution personnel. The
autopsy revealed that the man had died from a severe scull trauma. According
to the police reports, the chief suspect was another resident from the
home. The BHC has noted on numerous occasions that the severe understaffing
in the social care homes in the country and the lack of specialized training
of the staff for work with mentally ill clients are behind such fatal
instances. |