Police probe alleged abuse of mental patients

A number of nurses have been questioned by the police over allegations of abuse of patients at Mount Carmel Hospital. The police said an investigation into claims of "beating and ill-treatment" of mentally ill patients at the Attard hospital is under way and described it as a "serious case".

Two persons were detained under arrest for further investigation, the police said in response to questions from The Times.

It is understood that the alleged incidents took place over the past few years and revolve around claims of abuse of a number of patients in one of the wards. A handful of nurses have been questioned by the police over the past few days.

The case came to light after the nurses' union vociferously complained that its members were kept in cells while being interrogated, claiming this was "completely unacceptable".

Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses president Paul Pace warned that if such a situation were to repeat itself, the union would call on nurses at Mount Carmel Hospital to walk out in protest.

One of the nurses was left in a cell at the police headquarters in Floriana from noon till 4.30 p.m. waiting to be questioned and another was strip-searched and then left in a cell for some time, the union claimed.

Mr Pace said this treatment was unexpected and unprecedented, saying the MUMN had never received similar complaints from its members. "We cannot tolerate this kind of behaviour."

The union is calling for an inquiry into how these interrogations were carried out, adding that while it had no intention of disrupting police work, there was a limit to how far one could go while maintaining the dignity of the person being questioned.

"They (the nurses) have to be treated as human beings and not as criminals and thrown into a cell," he said. When questioned on this matter, the police said two persons were detained under arrest for further investigation, adding that this was nothing out of the ordinary when investigating "such a serious case".

When contacted, Mount Carmel Hospital chief executive Edward Borg said he was not officially informed by the police of any investigation.

Although he had neither received any official reports from the union about its claims, Mr Borg said he had spoken to the shop steward and the issue would continue to be discussed.