The Mental Facility Story

Germans will typically tell you that if you are 'nutty' and a threat....the German system is built in a way that a judge can sign the paperwork and put you into a mental facility....permanently if necessary.

This topic comes up today because of a legal case up in north Germany....in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

The basic case, which went all the way to the top (Federal Constitutional Court) revolved around this woman who was forced in a mental facility.

Around the summer of 2014, the lady was told by the county health office that her issues with delusions and schizophrenia were bad enough....that papers were going to be signed and that was the end of the discussion.

Well....she disagreed.

While the doctors signed off that she was a danger to herself and others....she felt that there should have been out-patient-like episodes and treatment....not full-blown institutionalism.

The woman was able to lay out several complaints (always unsuccessful) about this forced treatment deal.  What the high court now says is that she should NOT have been treated like this. An individual should have some basic right to self-determination and physical integrity.

The forced institution route?  It should only be done as a last resort.   The court suggests that more trust has to be accepted in this whole situation.

It means from this point on...the minute you come up with some crazy cousin or aunt with the schizophrenia episode....there has to be some paperwork trail....some doctor noting every single treatment and how it went right or wrong, and detail out how trust could no longer be applied to the individual.  A few more dead folks?  Well....yeah.  A few folks are going to have to give up their safe situation because you have to be overly fair to the schizophrenia folks.

My guess is that a decade down the road....some new law will be created to get around this court concept, and fast-pace folks once again into facilities.

The lady in this case?  I'm guessing that she will be released within days, and put on some treatment plan....to be monitored.