zaterdag 22 januari 2011

Tethered teenage psychiatric patient shocks Netherlands

Pictures of a Dutch tethered 18-year-old boy, Brandon, appeared on the Dutch TV, taken after a tip-off from a whistle-blower. The Boy was tethered in an institution as a violent psychiatric patient who suffers from severe learning difficulties and has been confined to institutions since the age of five. Normally he was allowed to go home during weekends, but staff became increasingly afraid and for the past three years he lives every single like “a caged animal”. 40 more patients live in similar circumstances and deputy health minister defends these practices, saying sometimes you need to protect people from themselves.

I think it is very difficult to justify people who are not able to control themselves in a proper way. But if they are a very big threat for the society then it is already less difficult. These people can be dangerous for other people and themselves. In circumstances like that, the only option could be restraining them but this decision is very difficult and should be avoided as far as possible.


1 opmerking:

  1. It is very sad that a guy like Brandon has to stay in a small room, but there must be a reason why he is in this situation. He must be dangerous and hurt other people. What if he is on the street and hit a small child? He might not think logical, this is very sad but there might be nothing to do about it.

    BeantwoordenVerwijderen