EU inquiry into abuse claims at Broadmoor

A European Union inquiry is to look into "unacceptable treatment'' of mentally ill patients in special hospitals.

The human rights investigation will encompass high-security units in the UK and examine reports of physical abuse as well as of patients being denied the right to choose their own treatment.

The inquiry was among a range of proposals announced last week at a special European summit on mental illness and stigma, backed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the European Commission and the World Psychiatric Association.

The Independent on Sunday has campaigned for better rights for the mentally ill for almost a year and highlighted the plight of hundreds of patients who pose no serious risk to the public but continue to be locked up in Broadmoor, Ashworth and Rampton hospitals because of a lack of beds in medium-secure units.

This month the former director of women's services at Broadmoor, Julia Wassell, revealed that female patients had been alleged victims of rape, sexual assault and harassment at the hospital.

European Commission officials said the year-long inquiry had been ordered in response to growing concerns about unacceptable treatment of people with disabilities who are placed in institutions.

Karl-Johan Lonnroth, the EU's deputy director-general of employment and social affairs, in announcing the inquiry, described the standard of treatment of the mentally ill across Europe as generally "unacceptable".

"Europe's is an ageing population and people with disabilities offer a rich pool of resources,'' said Mr Lonnroth,

The summit conference was organised by Greece, which currently holds the EU presidency. This year is the European Year of People with Disabilities.

Representatives from more than 65 countries, including the UK, Spain, France and Germany, met in Athens to draw up a new action plan to combat prejudice against people suffering from mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia.

The WHO also called for the setting up of a special mental health parliament where religious leaders, research institutions and parliamentarians would devise strategies for providing better mental health services.

Delegates, who included 21 government ministers, were told that not enough was being done to combat the stigma attached to mental illness and that sufferers were increasingly becoming excluded from jobs, housing and public services.

The latest figures from the WHO and the World Bank show that depression is now fourth in the league of illnesses that create the greatest burden for national health services.

Within 15 years, depression is expected to be the second biggest burden on health systems unless mental health services improve.

Fewer than half of the people in European countries who suffer from mental disorders are currently receiving treatment and only about 5 per cent in developing countries.

Dr Benedetto Saraceno, the director of the WHO's mental health and substance dependency unit, said that most people can be managed effectively with medication and some disorders can even be prevented with the correct intervention.

"There is an endemic stigmatisation and frequent violation of the human rights of the mentally ill,'' Dr Saraceno said.

Professor Stefanis Costas, the Greek minister of health and welfare, said there was a "myth" that mental disorder was associated with crime and anti-social behaviour.

He said: "This idea of dangerousness is a myth which needs to be dispelled among the public. Mental health systems which over-emphasise dangerousness – that is a good indicator of a bad mental health service.''

The IoS was invited to attend the summit and provided a keynote speech on ways in which the media can improve how they portray mentally ill people.