Subcomandante Marcos, message for Greece

19/06/2007

Greece : Police brutality against psychologically ill people

The Panhellenic Assembly for the Psychiatric Reform, denounces the murderous maltreatment of a person with psychological health problem, that took place on 22nd of May in the Police Department of Kallithea and which had as a result to be in Thriasio Hospital, in comma, with mechanical support and with uncertain future for his life, as well for the disability he will face, if he survives.

The person was known in the area for his psychological problems and was considered that he annoyed orally the passers-by, without threatening them. Instead of receiving help and special treatment, by being transferred to a special psychological health clinic, he was a victim of the “chastisement therapy”, operated by the so-called “servants of the civil order”.

This incident, which, as many others, was tried to be oscurated and stay away from any publicity, would be reported as a “result of self-injury”, if there were not any “third-party persons in interest” to uncover it.

Who would say, without making themselves ridiculous, that this is a “scarce and random incident”, as well?

Instead, it expresses throughly the deep racism and the degrading attitude with which the contemporary “praetors” treat everyone who is considered “different”, “annoying” and unwelcome, “useless” or “dangerous” for the neoliberal civil order and, therefore, susceptible in any way: psychologically ill people, toxic addicts, immigrants, gypsies, minor law-breakers and protesters and political activists as well. This means all those incapable of adapting themselves, who fall out of line or consciously act against conditions, templates and rules that come more tight and asphyxiating (the conditions of the precarious conditions of existence), which rule out a constantly increasing majority.

As for the special issue of the treatment of the ones who are psychologically ill, there is a long story of unacceptable maltreatment, as, applying the rules for compulsory hospitalization, they are let alone in front of the irresponsible treatment of the police officers, who arrest them and face them “as they decide” as they are supposed to transfer them to the psychological health clinics, keeping them detained in the police cells for several days and nights (especially in the countryside) until the transfer is possible, against any human and civil right of the former.

If we consider that the two thirds of the people led to the psychiatries and the psychiatric clinics of the general hospitals are under enforced hospitalization, then we can see that the psychiatry in Greece still considers the Police as a main intervener for letting the psychologically ill people hospitalized, reaching to the analogous conclusions in terms of their treatment. This single piece of data consists one of the most serious proofs for the complete failure of any effort for psychological reform.

Similarly unacceptable is the state under which people are detained in psychiatries and in general hospitals, where the guards impose a shameless occupation of the place, intervening in the medical operation and converting the place into a jail.

We demand the full truth on the conditions of the murderous beating up in the Kallithea Police Department.

We ask from all the professionals of the psychological health, the users of the services, the families, all the movements and the organisations who fight in order to defend and and widen the rights, to mobilize immediately, so as to put an end in the police illegitimacy; for a radical reform of the system of the psychological health services, operating in terms of therapeutic meeting and not police force and violence.

18 June 2007

Nationwide Assembly for the Psychiatric Reform