Four employees of the Psychiatric Hospital of Stepi from Bihor County were surprised by the surveillance cameras while hitting, humiliated and assaulted patients admitted to the medical unit. They were sent to court for bad treatments applied to patients and abusive behavior.
The facts were committed between 7 and 14 September 2024. Photo: Archive
The aggressions were particularly violent. On September 9, 2024, a supervisor was filmed while hitting several patients with a cable, his foot or a PVC wand, and a patient was repeatedly assaulted while being held by other patients, according to a statement sent by the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the Oradea Court, quoted by Agerpres.
One of the patients needed up to 10 days of medical care following the blows of another employee, a nurse. Investigators say that violence has taken place on vulnerable people, unable to defend or recover abuse.
Patients beaten with fists and palms
A third supervisor slapped a patient for the simple fact that he tried to take an apple to the table. The aggression continued a few minutes later, when he hit his foot in the shoulder blade and arm, so forcefully that the patient spilled his food.
Another employee, also a supervisor, hit him three times with his fist in his shoulder on a seated patient, who wanted to take his bowl. He was also surprised by beating a patient while eating and applying fists in the back and in the head of another patient.
The facts were committed between 7 and 14 September 2024, and the video recordings were the basis of the accusations made by the investigators. The four defendants were under judicial control during the criminal prosecution.
The prosecutor’s office benefited from the support of the Bihor County Police Inspectorate – Criminal Investigation Service. The file was sent for settlement to the Beiuș Court.
